Life Changers: Rosemary Notarantonio – Fulfillment of the Dream
By: Paxson Woelber
Rosemary Notarantonio, RN, MSN, is CEO of Brentwood Meadows – a behavioral health facility specializing in the treatment of chemical dependency and mental wellness. In addition to her Bachelor of Science from the University of Central Florida and Masters of Science with a Nursing Administration Focus from Barry University, Rosemary is certified in Advanced Burn Life Support, Trauma, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Basic Life Support, Development Dimensions Leadership, and Quality Action Teams. In addition to all this, Rosemary loves to shop. You can connect with Rosemary on LinkedIn HERE.
“FULFILLMENT OF THE DREAM”
Whenever I am faced with a seemingly impossible or insurmountable goal, my father’s words resonate in my mind: “You can accomplish anything you put your mind to.” He then would repeat the story of his cousin who walked “miles to school”, was awarded a scholarship to attend college, worked to supplement living expenses, and because he “wanted to be a doctor” found a way to reach his goal. Did I mention that he was the son of immigrant parents who came to America from Italy?
I often think about how brave my grandparents were to leave their families, country, and culture to come to America so that their children and grandchildren “could have a better life”. I believe that we are indebted to them and should/must do everything in our power to fulfill their dream for us.
As I look across our family I know they would be very proud of what we have accomplished, thus far.
How can my life changing experience change your life?
CHANGE YOUR DAY
Every interaction you have is an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life. It may be just a smile or other nonverbal acknowledgement, an unexpected act of kindness, or words of encouragement. Look for someone that you can add value to today and make it “all about them.”
CHANGE YOUR WEEK
This week spend 5 minutes each morning thinking about the purpose of your company, or what your own contribution is. Each day, I make “rounds” on the unit and invariably a patient will make a positive comment about their care validating our work. It affirms “why we are here.”
CHANGE YOUR LIFE
Identify one goal that you will make happen by the end of 2013. Begin with this goal in mind and work backwards from that point, identifying the important steps you can start working on today. Visualize what accomplishing this goal will look like, experience what it will feel like, and verbalize it to yourself and others. Commit to doing one thing each day to make this goal a reality. Let nothing deter you.
How will YOU use Rosemary’s story to change your life?
This is a great reminder that we do have the ability to make a difference in someones life. I tend to get caught up in the day to day that I forget that someone needs to be encouraged. Thanks for Sharing!
Luke – what a great thing for us to be able to stop and realize what you just said. It’s very easy to underestimate the influence we have on others, and how much a word of encouragement can mean to them.
Thank you for your comment.
Love this, Jonathan. Every day we have many opportunities to leave people better off or worse off for having interacted with us…we need this kind of perspective to change our day and ultimately our life!
Well said! That kind of perspective is invaluable!
Great post Rosemary!!! This post reminds me of what Jim Wooden said, “Make each day your masterpiece.” Whenever we live life intentionally and with discipline great things happen, we move toward our dreams.
Dan, your focus on intentionality is right
on, and your point about adding discipline to the mix is critical.
Glad to add to the discussion.
It is so great to hear that there are people who care about what they do and take pride on their work. Like you said,”every interaction counts as an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life” I truly live by it each time I go to work. Thanks for sharing your story.
Thank you for having this mindset. Even though may not see the immediate results ourselves; when we focus on others, we can change the world around us in a very positive way.
I think people often overlook just how much an impact they have in other peoples lives and just how important the little things are. It’s easy to get caught up in what we do everyday and lose sight of that. A simple smile and a hello change someones day in an instant.
You are absolutely right on the money. We also never know when others are watching us. Thanks for this great reminder!