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Welcome to QuintSmart Learner!

Edition 1 - November 29th

Hey, it’s Basti. Welcome to my weekly newsletter on learning how to learn smart, with impact and joy.

This is the first newsletter-edition, and I’m glad to welcome you as my first readers.

To set the stage, let me start with a story about myself. This story greatly influenced my dedication to learning and might also explain the sometimes nerdy touch I bring along.

I was born with a split on my upper lip.

A small biological oversight that had big consequences on my development.

At four years old, I couldn’t speak clearly and could not pronounce certain letters and words without stuttering. Nobody would guess that in a matter of years, I went from being unable to speak clearly to being considered a smart kid.

At four, I was embarrassed and shy. Why couldn’t I do such a simple thing like everyone else? I definitely wasn’t a super smart kid by any standards. I doubt anyone could have thought I would be a successful adult. After all, I couldn’t even speak properly.

When I was five years old, I underwent a surgery to bind my lip back together and restructure my palate. It was incredible what science could do.

But the surgery was hard! It left me swollen and totally reliant on my mother. I couldn’t even feed myself. After the healing time, I was sent to physical therapy and speech therapy. I had to relearn how to speak again. How to use my mouth. How to swallow with the new shape of my lips

For the very first time, I had to learn for the sake of my life. I underwent months of speech therapy, learning how to use my tongue and place it to pronounce words so I could communicate clearly.

Learning became tied to my ability to function. It was so hard, but I tried. My mother was with me every step of the way, supporting me and making me practice my letters.

She knew that if I didn’t relearn how to speak—and quickly–I would have been left behind. She told me to try, and so I did. I practiced all the time, with her AND without her.

Though I don’t remember much of the recovery process (hey, I was only five years old!), I succeeded! A few years later, I was accepted into an advanced elementary school in Germany.

Looking back on this, I know my growth had nothing to do with my innate intelligence but EVERYTHING to do with my ability and desire to learn as quickly as possible.

Learning—as it still is—was key to my survival.

We often take the basic things for granted: walking, the ability to speak, and our health.

As a child, I learned that even those things can be taken away from you.

Except for one thing: Your desire to learn.

Through learning, we gain a competitive edge. We learn to recover from bad things quickly.

Here’s why this is relevant to you now: Obstacles will happen. It’s the way life goes.

But to overcome them, we must go back to that simple lesson: we have to keep learning to survive. We must keep learning as adults, leveling up our skills so that we can stay ahead of uncertain circumstances.

When you have that ability—to learn—you can accomplish anything. There’s no technology you can’t master. No job you can’t figure out.

Even not being able to speak.

Through our ability and desire to learn quickly, we can overcome the obstacles life throws at us. Obstacles like recovering from an injury, or even obstacles like getting fired, losing a parent, or starting a company.

Learning is ONE thing we must invest in to survive. It’s the only thing that can always save you.

The issue is, that so many people have problems continuing to learn as adults. We stop learning because we think it takes too much time and we are unclear of the ROI.

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That’s why I started QuintSmart. Where I help you to learn the skills you need to uplevel quickly and thrive no matter what life throws at you.

What is QuintSmart? That is a good question. Allow me some time to describe it in detail, but not just yet.

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If you’re excited to learn more, please share this newsletter with your friends and follow me on LinkedIn too.

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Ah, before I forget, do you remember the promise I made?

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I promised, to share a version of a Second Brain with you.

Are you wondering what a Second Brain is?

This is a topic I’ll explore in one of the upcoming newsletters.

But for those who love to experiment, for those who might be a HOW-type of learner:

Here is your LinkedIn-Second-Brain. It’s equipped with my collected knowledge about LinkedIn, building on the wisdom of many amazing LinkedIn creators

You can download your version including setup instructions via: https://digital-garden.ontheagilepath.net/linkedin-second-brain-setup-instructions-v1-0​

Have fun exploring and let me know how it works for you.

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This is Version 1 of my newsletter. Please let me know what you think.

Learn Smart, Basti

P.S… To respond to this newsletter, just hit reply. I love getting replies, read all of them, and I will answer to as many as possible (And if you received this email from a friend, and would like to subscribe, please go here: https://pages.quintsmart.com/)

I will publish my newsletter every Friday at about 13:00 o’clock CET.

See you next Friday.