NAPLES — Luanne Cameron is more than a breast cancer survivor. She is a wife, Mother, entrepreneur, small business coach, and author. A cancer diagnosis and her unwavering positive attitude lead Luanne to write a book.

Her mission is to teach people the principles that have brought her success. Her ultimate goal is to help others achieve success through her tried and true practices and techniques learned from her personal life challenges.

In her book, The 110 Philosophy™, Luanne recounts the childhood traumas that led to her vision of long life and iron-clad discipline. She shares her personal story of how she navigated through living with a pedophile as a child, recently surviving breast cancer, and remaining happily married and satisfied in life even after all of the odds were against her.

“The decision to write the book took several years. It was at first just a fun idea. In my corporate life, I was introduced to a few leadership books that sold millions of copies and I thought to myself — they don’t even tell you how to ‘stay positive,’ they just said ‘stay positive.’ I would be sharing exactly ‘how’ you stay positive when life throws you lemons. I would share the recipe to make the lemonade out of the lemons. Then, I got caught in the recession really bad and I landed on my feet at State Farm. I was missing helping people (managing five people vs 150-plus) so I began to share with my team, ‘I should write a book.’  After hearing me say this a few times, my office manager asked me, ‘so when are you going to write that book?’  and that was the moment! I was held accountable by my office manager, and the decision was made.  I am writing a book!” Luanne said. “It actually started as ‘luanneisms’ and then it went from there to what you see today published with the turtle on the cover. That was in September of 2014. October 2014, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, which ultimately uncovered a rare immune disease that I have. It is not a poor me story. It’s the illness combined with my positive attitude that allowed me an opportunity to write the book. The illness slowed me down long enough to pull it off.  Otherwise, I don’t think I would have ever gotten around to write the book.”

Funny thing, Luanne is not a reader.   

“Hence, the importance the book is 110 pages. I wanted to capture individuals who are way too busy to read. I actually dictated the book and I hired a ghost writer to help pull it together,” Luanne said. “I am very good orchestrating people and that’s exactly what I did to publish the book. It’s a leadership book — it’s about helping individuals overcome obstacles to achieve their goal.  My goal was to write a book, even though I don’t read and I am a terrible writer. A great example of what the book is about.”

Her philosophy is not about being happy all the time, every day. It’s about how to better handle what life throws your way so that you are happy more of the time, and when things are not good, circumstances do not wreck you. 

“The tools I gained from my childhood have helped me overcome numerous obstacles later in life, including the disintegration of my career as I exited corporate life at the height of my career and the Great Recession and spent 18 months unemployed; a battle with breast cancer, a life-saving mastectomy, and several other health challenges that required nine surgeries and numerous bed-ridden months of recovery,” Luanne said. “Those challenges forced me to refine my goals and to constantly remind myself of my vision for life.”

From the rocky challenges of her childhood, Luanne was inspired to take a goal-oriented approach to life which helped to ensure her own family didn’t go down the same path that her parents’ family had followed.

Luanne’s professional inspiration is to share her experiences and best practices so that others can achieve more happiness and satisfaction in their careers and personal lives. This desire was further strengthened when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014.  

“I knew that I was going to beat it. I had to. I was already planning to live to be 110 years young, and this certainly wasn’t going to stop me. Of course, I did question myself when times were tough. But, I stayed strong, was motivated by my passion for having fun with life and now I want to help others do the same,” she said. “I found my strength in my vision of living a long, happy life. It was that vision that made me go in for my mammogram in the first place. If I didn’t have a longevity view to life, I would have skipped the mammogram as I was already doctor exhausted from managing through my colitis. I felt if I was really going to live to 110 years young, I had better not skip the mammogram. Those little pink ribbons I had seen everywhere told me that it was important to have a mammogram. That’s why the pink ribbon is a hidden icon within the cover of the book. Again, my strength comes from my vision and inner belief that everything in life happens for a reason. I truly believe that I am connected to a bigger purpose in life. God is my inner strength, not that this book is at all about religion, but to gain true mind grit on the tough days, you must see a bigger vision for your life to really pull you through your invisible battles in life.”

Luanne created a website with a blog where she offers insight into her philosophy and shares methods for overcoming obstacles and pursuing your goals.  She also conducts workshops (“I learned that with positivity and optimism you can overcome any obstacle. From now on, I will view my ‘problems’ as challenges and turn them into opportunities,” one attendee wrote as part of feedback following the session at St. Joseph College in Standish). With her book, she is taking the next step in her own personal pursuit of growth by sharing her formula for successful living. Luanne says that she also uses her blog as a way to check in with herself monthly and reevaluate “when I am brainstorming for the blog, I am forced to pause for a moment and really think about what has transpired from last month until now, what is coming up next, what is making me happy or not happy.” 

Luanne believes that true happiness comes as a result of the hard times and how you overcome them. The only way to know happiness, and to be grateful, is to have had the opposite hard times and determined how you overcame those times. In her book, she shares with readers some simple techniques she uses. 

“When I went through breast cancer it was one of the most difficult times in my life, of course. Many days I wouldn’t say I was happy, but I was deeply aware that I was alive. And when some days were better than others, I concentrated on those better days and looked for ways to repeat them. This is a fundamental part of The 110 Philosophy™to dissect a situation, take the learning from it and apply it in the future,” she said.

When Luanne crossed the finish line of the Maine Cancer Foundation’s Tri For A Cure, completing all three sections, she felt, “This was my victory in having my health challenges finally totally behind me and this significant goal accomplished has prepared me for my future journey and all of the challenges that will come my way. I’m not a survivor, I’m a WARRIOR!” 

This is the attitude that has kept her determined to help others find meaning and strength in their own lives. Luanne’s 110 Team started an initiative of sharing small turtle figurines and stickers with a positive message to random people as a way to make people smile. And, for every book sold, 110 pennies go to the Maine Cancer Foundation. 

The 110 Philosophy™ is already in 26 states,eightcountries, and still traveling. You can find it locally at Bridgton Books or visit Cameron at her State Farm insurance agency in Standish.

One question Luanne is always asked is whether a second book is in the works?

“It’s a true compliment to be asked this. I am very proud that I actually wrote a book. I would have no problem with being a one hit wonder! I hope it is! If I did write another book, it would be a children’s book as I believe that is the time in one’s life to introduce the simple recipe to lifelong happiness takes shape. I would see that book being only 10 pages long. I might be able to pull that fun goal off!” she said.

Be your best you! Make today count…tick, tock. 1:10 p.m., the 110 Philosophy moment — the moment in the day you stop, reflect, understand and be present! — Luanne Cameron.

Website: www.110Philosophy.com