The 2017 Proposal of the Year; How to pull off the best Proposal to your Valentine

11 Sunday Feb 2018

Posted by Didier Champion in About my Home Country, Rwanda, My Home nation Rwanda

The proposal in action. At the top of Bisoke Volcano with crater late at 12, 200ft of altitude.

A little over two months ago, I proposed to my then girlfriend and she responded me a BIG YES. This is valentine’s day is our first valentine’s day as an engaged couple. It was one of the greatest emotion I have ever had for sure. I was very relieved to get that ” YES”. After all, there is no greater feeling knowing than getting that “Yes, I will marry you” response. It was one of the best memorable moments of my life. The whole process and preparation were not easy, but I was very relieved and satisfied in the end. My efforts did really pay off big time. My fiancee and I are very grateful. Ever since we met, we fell in love with each other. We are very thankful that each one of us found their soulmate, their better half. No greater feeling than that.

I had been planning this engagement for 3–4 months. We both like to go on crazy adventures and are very big on outdoor activities. So, when I was thinking about proposing to her, I thought about something that would blow her mind and at the same time make me very happy.

We live on two different sides of the world, so we don’t see each other as often as we would like to. We love each other very much and have been dating for years now. We had been talking about marriage, and other related stuff! So I knew it was time to propose to her, but I wanted to impress and surprise her in the best way possible I could! She loves surprises!

Proposing to her on top of a volcano with an amazing view was very hard to pull off. I was very fortunate that everything went well.

Top of the Bisoke Volcano in our home country of Rwanda at 3,711 meters ( 12, 200 ft).

We are both physically fit, but I was not sure if she was going to make it to the top. Even though, I have climbed a few other mountains in Colorado; for her, this was her very first one. If either one of us could not make it, there is no way, it would have happened. I would have had to settle for Plan B. We had been planning this hike for some time, but of course, she had no idea that I was planning something more.

Bisoke Volcano in Volcano National Park, Rwanda

Ring Size ( Fit perfectly)
This past summer I asked her about her ring size. But the measurement they gave her back home in Rwanda was a bit different as I had to order her ring on American and UK website. It took me a good week to finally match her size, cross-referencing different measurement techniques and standards from different countries.

3. Toughest Hike ever

Before starting the hike, our tour guide gave us a lengthy safety briefing about all of the precautions. We were told that many people do not make to the top. That they get tired and give up. We were also told that a few people have lost their lives, lacking oxygen and breath, from various health issues. We got lucky the weather was very nice to us and it did not rain. Otherwise, it would have been even terrible. On a typical good day, the hike takes 2.5–3 hours to get to the top, and another 2–3 hours depending on the physical fitness of hikers.

However, we were determined to make it and did not back out. Three quarters through the hike, I started thinking about plan B just in case one of us could not make it. I was going to propose wherever we were going to stop our hike. I was very happy I did not need plan B. We both made it to the peak of the volcano at 3, 711 meters (12, 200 ft ) and got to see the crater lake that we both wanted to see so bad. Long story short, it took us 3 hours to get to the top, one hour to rest, eat, and relax at the top and another 3 hours to come back down.

My photo after finishing a 6-hour total hike up and down the mountain.

The greatest feeling was that everything went well, from A to Z.

She said YES. We made it to the top and back, in record time.
The ring fits her well and she loves it. And now, we are happily engaged. My Friends, I have had some good feelings, but nothing comes close to finally knowing that you are going to live with your best friend forever.

Happy Valentine everybody!

For my fellow men out there, I wish you the best proposing to your partner someday. It is one of the best feelings you ever going to have in your life. Make it count and don’t settle for the easiest proposal idea. It does not have to be expensive, but make it creative and interesting. Surprise and give her one of the stories she is ever going to tell to her friends. It is so worth it, trust me. Best of luck.

Lots of love and respect,

Cheers!

Didier Champion

Life is not supposed to be Fair: Suck it up and rise up to your challenges.

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This year, I am turning 28 years old. Born and raised in Rwanda, a beautiful country in the East-African region. Every year, I do find myself reflecting on my life. During my time here on earth, I lived and survived harsh life in refugee camps. The majority of my teenage years, for 7–10 years total, I survived living on less than one dollar a day. The truth is I never thought I would make it this far. Life can be very unpredictable. From the beginning, I missed out on the so-called “lottery of birth”. Being born in Rwanda, in early 1990’s was not a good time a young kid would have chosen to be born.

At 4 years old, there was a terrible genocide in my country that claimed 1 in every 7 people in the country. My family escaped and lived in DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) for 3-years. At 7 years old, at the peak of the war in my country, my dad was shot dead in front of me and my siblings. From there on, my life became tough, but I hustled and rose my way out of extreme poverty together with my family ( Mom, brother, and sister); thanks to education, hard work, luck, and determination.

This is my family photo in 1998. The only one we have left together as a family ( Myself on the right, brother, sister, and mom). All other souvenirs prior to that were lost during the turmoil period in my country.

Our only family photo prior to the year 1998.

Fast forward this December 2017, this is our family photo this past Sunday in the peaceful new Rwanda! We decided to take the same photo as we did 20 years ago. We are very thankful for our lives. I am an engineer, my sister and brother are both registered nurses, saving people’s lives and taking care of our mom, co-founder, and CEO of our family.

Today, we have no complaints. Life is so much better than it is used to be back then.

My country is peaceful, prosperous, and I am so proud to be Rwandan.

Hometown pride, Kigali, Rwanda

Rwanda Today. This is my hometown and the capital city of Rwanda, Kigali.

Below are my best Lessons Learned so far:

Life is NOT and will never be fair.
Whatever life situations you find yourself in, do your best to rise upon your challenges without making too many excuses. It starts with where you are born. The so-called lottery of birth. Do you think it is fair to be born in Aleppo, Syria right now with missiles and bombs flying around your head? or Some kid getting born from wealthy parents versus others from poor families?
Depend on and trust yourself only.
Never rely ( heavily) on your friends or family too much. In every aspect of your life, you can control yourself and yourself only. Friends and family might and will change over time. If you want to control your destiny, you will have to rely on yourself, and not others.
Love and cherish your life. Life is a gift.
At any time, you can die. Accidents, diseases, wars, and conflicts take people’s lives every day. Never take your life for granted. Cherish every moment you have with your family and friends. Once you are gone, they will mourn your life for a few weeks, maybe months, but after some time, they will all move on by their busy lives. Few will still remember you after a year.
Always be thankful for what you have. No matter how much little you have, there is always somebody wishing they had what you have. No matter how bad your situation, there is always somebody in worse conditions than you.
Never complain or make excuses. Complaining is a recipe for a disaster and personal mediocrity. Be accountable for your actions.
Professionally, nobody is interested in your personal issues/problems.
That’s what close friends and family are there for. Your employer or customers are only interested in the value you bring to them. ” The marketplace is not interested in your needs, it is only interested in your seeds”. Jim Rohn. Do not bring your needs to the marketplace, rather bring your seeds. Nothing else. Use your issues/problems to instill the spirit of hard work and determination to achieve your personal goals. That’s what I have done and it has worked for me.
- When you start complaining, all of the sudden, you have reasons not to wake up in the morning and get to work.
- When you start complaining, all of the sudden, you start to worry about things that are out of your control. You get depressed and start feeling like a loser and a failure.
7. Do not be poor; it sucks!
If you are born poor, work your tail off and do not die poor. Being poor is oftentimes not about being lazy. Life circumstances just happen. Your family background, where you were born and raised, and many other unfortunate living conditions. The bad seasons will come. One day, you have a good job and next time you notice you are out of work. All of the sudden, you cannot make your mortgage payments, student loans can’t be paid, etc. Whatever your condition is in any country. Not affording your basic needs will stress you out. I still remember when we could not afford lunch or dinner. We would go to bed and wake up the next day ready to get to work. Those days were tough, my friends.

8. Whatever happens in your life, never complain or feel like a victim.
Even when you think you have a reason to complain or feel like a victim, never feel like somebody else owes you something. I don’t know where I got this skill from, but most likely from my mom. She found ways to make sure that we never complained. My siblings and I learned by example. Through it all, we kept working day and night. Mixing school and labor work until we made our breakthrough.

9. Bad times will come, what matters is how you react during those hard times. From all the life circumstances, “20% is about what happens to you and 80% is determined by how you react to it”. This quote used to confuse the heck out of me, but now, I truly believe in it. Sometimes, life will come at you like a high-speed train and hit you hard. You will fall down, but whatever circumstances, try to get back up again. Never feel like a victim, you are better than that. You are special than that.

10. Never quit, never settle! I truly believe that!

Cheers!

Didier Champion

Posted by Didier Champion | Filed under About my Home Country, Rwanda, Life Adventures, My Home nation Rwanda

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How to realistically achieve your goals in 2018

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Posted by Didier Champion in Religion and its Myth and Mysteries

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What I used to do and why It was not working

I used to be so bad at making New Year’s resolution, but after multiple years of trial and error, I finally find a system that works for me. Like a majority of the people, I used to make a list of them every year. However, in the middle of the year, I would lose track of them, ignore them, and get discouraged to keep up. Finally, I would give up and go by my business, “freestyling my way into the year”. Below are the reasons I used to fail.

Making a big list without separating them into categories.
Overestimating what I could do, which made me feel bad for not achieving many things on the list.
Sometimes, I did not even write them and went by what was in my mind. Big mistake. Learn to think on paper. Write them down.
Lack of constant evaluation throughout the whole year. If you want to lose 20 lbs in 12 months. But in June, you have not lost a pound, you are lying to yourself. Evaluate monthly or quarterly and make adjustments.

I have learned to divide my goals into categories. It makes it easier for me to track them throughout the year. I have about 5 categories:

Professional goals

I want to get better at work.

Be more efficient and effective.

Be more valuable to the marketplace ( my employer and my clients).

Finance goals

Staying on on top of my finances.

Pay my bills and debts on time.

Spend moderately. Save and invest the surplus.

Family ( Relationship ) goals

I am engaged now. So, I wanna be the best partner that my fiancee can ever have. Constantly learning about her “love language(s)” and doing what makes her happy and avoiding what makes her angry at all cost.

Fitness goals ( physical and mental health)

Making sure I stay physically and mentally strong.

Live a well-balanced life with less stress.

Extra-Curricular goals ( Adventures)

These are usually my traveling goals. Places I wanted to visit. This year, I have got Croatia, Switzerland, Seychelles, and Morocco.

Keep learning by reading, writing and blogging along with other stuff that makes me happy as a person. Mentoring other young people and helping out in my community.

How To have a good chance at achieving your goals;

Make your goals be SMART. S-specific; M-Measured; A-Attainable; R-Realistic, and T-Timely.
1. These goals have to be your own goals ( ownership). They cannot your brothers or sisters, or even your wife’s. If they are family goals, everybody has to make them their own and do their part.
2. They have to be in writing. If they are not written down, it will make it hard to remember and evaluate them on a regular basis.
3. Make them measured, specific, and have a time limit.
  1. I want to lose weight this year: FALSE. Specify how much weight, in what time, and make a solid plan.
  2. I want to lose 20 lbs in one year. This means that you can strive to lose about 2.0 lbs each month or 5.0 lbs in a quarter. Go step by step.

Making your goals “SMART” and staying accountable along the way will help you achieve them. You have to stay engaged and constantly evaluating as weeks and months go by.

Best of luck!

Below is a good summary of some of my 2018 goals: Going #beastmode.

1. Focus-Focus-Focus: on my goals and purpose in life. Avoid distractions at all cost.
2. Keep learning by reading and writing.
3. Provide the best content to my friends and followers.
4. Provide more value to my clients than I get paid for.
5. Make small improvements every day.
6. Self-evaluation about my progress ( monthly and quarterly).
7. Stay on top of my finances ( Weekly assessment of my cash flow).
8. Reach out to more people: provide quality advice and ask for help when I need some.
9. Reach one million views on my #Quora answers.
Focusing on quality and not quantity.
Grow my network on my personal website and medium .
10. Be a good leader: Inspire, motivate, and lead by example.

Hope this helps. Wish me luck!

Didier Champion