This morning was our annual Realizing the Dream Asking Breakfast for Habitat Cabarrus, where we get together community leaders and supporters of Habitat to allow everyone to make their annual contribution, and learn more about what the organization's plans for the next year are (for us, 15 houses and implementing the A Brush with Kindness program).

Our speaker was a gentleman by the name of Honor Bell.  He's a decorated veteran, child of the projects, and currently the leader of Florida's initiatives for community service.  He said something that really stuck with me-It's Not About Me-It's All About YOU!-and it made me think about the way I conduct my real estate business and hopefully my life-and the way so many of my colleagues here at AR do the same.  When you take this approach in your life-working to improve the life of someone else, lifting another's burden-it pays back in so many different ways.  It's so easy in our materialistic society to focus inward, being myopic and seeing only what's directly in front of us.  But when you reach a hand out to help someone else-they in turn help another-and the good spreads!

I've mentioned before that this is the time for planning for 2007 and beyond, for myself and my team, and for many of you out there as well. Don't forget to incorporate some sort of volunteer or community service work into your business plan.  Not just for the networking-pick a cause that you truly believe in-and dig in to help others bear their burdens.  Give back and reap the rewards!