Blog Family Matters #3 Oct 30 2021
Bridget Brown
In my last Blog I said that the most important thing each person can
do is celebrate the magnificent person you are and your gifts and strengths.
Another very important thing that helped me be successful in my
life is doing a person-centered plan every year of my life.
You might be wondering ~ what is person-centered planning? It is a tool that helps us to plan and design
our lives around an individual person and not a “system”. I describe it as a THINKING MAP. Basically, it helps you think about the
important things in your life and what matters to you. It helps you dream about
possibilities and gives you ways to get there. The best way to do a plan is to
have a group of important people in your life meet with you to help you think
about your future. It is wonderful to
have a facilitator and a graphic recorder who will write down or draw all your
ideas and thoughts. This is not always possible so you can make your own
booklet if that is the best way to get started.
Ask some people to help you if you can.
Person-centered planning for me has been very helpful in my life.
We did this process every year starting when I was 4 years old. It helped me be included in school and my
community. It helped me make plans based my dreams and not on my fears. It also
made me realize that my disability doesn’t define me.
A person-centered plan makes you think about your personal mission
statement. You discuss and record your gifts and strengths, your dreams, nightmares,
your future plans, and how you’re going to reach your goals. I love it because it is so positive and not
negative. It helps me to identify my
abilities and not focus on my disability. I learned how important dreams are
because they force you to stretch yourself beyond your limits.
I will talk more about person center planning in future blogs, but
for now, you might want to start doing your own person-centered plan. Start by making a celebration poster. You can
use words or pictures to describe what things you have accomplished and the
things you are proud of in your life.
This is a way to start your person-centered plan. I like it because you
celebrate all your big and small accomplishments. You can ask other people in your life to help
you think about celebrations. This is really fun to do and I encourage you to
be creative by using words, pictures, drawings, and/or photos. Thinking about
celebrations helps your mind be positive.
It is a creative process and you can do anything you want that makes you
happy.
I hope you give this a try.
You will feel proud of yourself and feel hopeful about your future.
Bridget
