Real Estate Information Archive

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur."

~ Vince Lombardi

WINNING ISN'T EVERYTHING!

Good old Vince Lombardi - always a great source for motivating words! Success on the football field was the result of the spirit he had and developed within himself, not the other way around! Sometimes we have a tendency to put the cart before the horse, thinking that we become better people through achieving success. What an egocentric and near-sighted notion! We really achieve success by becoming better people!

Achieving your goals is like finally arriving at your destination after a long journey. How many times have you heard that it's not the destination that's so important - it's the steps that you take along the path? It's not so much what you do, but how you do it. Regardless of success or failure, it's your efforts that are remembered and define who you are.

Even the most menial jobs and tasks can be elevated simply by caring enough about doing them well. You can learn to respect any job when it is performed by someone who respects himself. Again, it is not the "events that occur" so much as it is the "will to excel" that impresses us. We shouldn't worry so much about getting a better job so much as simply doing our job better!

It's also that "will to win" that drives us to keep trying, even when we do not achieve our goals. As long as you have that drive and ambition, you WILL succeed! As a matter of fact, you've already succeeded right there. Big or small, you have dreams, you have goals, and you have the spirit and confidence to carry you. Along the way, chances are that you'll also inspire others with the will to succeed. That's what gains the respect of your colleagues. It's not what rung of the ladder you're on, it's that you simply have the will to climb.

Successes can be fleeting, but the will to succeed is timeless. What will you be remembered for?

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur."

~ Vince Lombardi

WINNING ISN'T EVERYTHING!

Good old Vince Lombardi - always a great source for motivating words! Success on the football field was the result of the spirit he had and developed within himself, not the other way around! Sometimes we have a tendency to put the cart before the horse, thinking that we become better people through achieving success. What an egocentric and near-sighted notion! We really achieve success by becoming better people!

Achieving your goals is like finally arriving at your destination after a long journey. How many times have you heard that it's not the destination that's so important - it's the steps that you take along the path? It's not so much what you do, but how you do it. Regardless of success or failure, it's your efforts that are remembered and define who you are.

Even the most menial jobs and tasks can be elevated simply by caring enough about doing them well. You can learn to respect any job when it is performed by someone who respects himself. Again, it is not the "events that occur" so much as it is the "will to excel" that impresses us. We shouldn't worry so much about getting a better job so much as simply doing our job better!

It's also that "will to win" that drives us to keep trying, even when we do not achieve our goals. As long as you have that drive and ambition, you WILL succeed! As a matter of fact, you've already succeeded right there. Big or small, you have dreams, you have goals, and you have the spirit and confidence to carry you. Along the way, chances are that you'll also inspire others with the will to succeed. That's what gains the respect of your colleagues. It's not what rung of the ladder you're on, it's that you simply have the will to climb.

Successes can be fleeting, but the will to succeed is timeless. What will you be remembered for?

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"Many people avoid risk when it is really fortune's accomplice."

- Sting

SPIN THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE!

When Captain Meriwether Lewis & William Clark led the Corps of Discovery in 1804, what were the risks? Grizzlies? Attack by unfriendly natives? The unknown? In the masterpiece book, "Undaunted Courage," it is clear that Lewis & Clark faced those and many other unexpected challenges to their expedition into the great Northwest via the Missouri River. Without their courage, their tenacity, and their curiosity, much of the northwest corner of our country would likely not be part of the United States.

On a different level, a five-year-old mounts her bicycle and pushes off from the curb. Fear grips her tender heart, yet she makes the effort. Her reward? She has learned to succeed by trying - by taking measure of the risk of a bruised knee vs. the thrill of achievement.

So what risks have you taken lately? Have you dared take a new direction in anticipation of some hitherto unknown fortune? Have you dreamed "outside the box" and then taken steps to bring your dream to fruition? If not - why not?

Perhaps you want to expand your career objectives. You may need to risk capital, effort, and even ridicule from your business associates. When you succeed, you risk standing out from the crowd - an uncomfortable position to some.

Maybe you want to communicate more fully with your children, but dread the risk of alienating them through frank discussions of sensitive issues.

Common expressions like "Nothing ventured - nothing gained" are not words from some Casper Milquetoast. They are sound advice from someone who has taken the risk and gained the fortune. No matter what fortune you desire, it is available to you only when you are willing to take that all-important "first step." Not a single good in life comes by staying in bed with the covers pulled over your head. Go ahead, seek your fortune and step out from the crowd.

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"People fail forward to success."

~ Mary Kay Ash

FAILING FORWARD!

It's been observed that although experience can be the best teacher, you get it by taking the exam before you've actually taken the course!

Quite expectedly, many of us don't perform well initially when attempting something new. While there is such a thing as a "natural talent" in just about any field of endeavor, it's probably safe to assume that most people working (or playing) at anything, from the practice of law to the game of tennis, have a long road behind them paved with what they considered (at the time) to be failures.

Every experience we have, however, should be a learning process. And our so-called "failures" are in fact the “experiences” from which we learn the most. Early on in life, the way we gain our sense of balance is from falling down when we first attempt to walk. Every fall, every "failure," eventually led to success.

It's a rare individual who does well in his or her first attempt at anything. Despite Yoda's philosophy in the Star Wars saga that "there is no try; there is only do," most of us ending up "doing" after repeated attempts at "trying." Eventually, we “do” manage to succeed.

So perhaps what Yoda was saying, after all, is that when we finally achieve our goals, it's only the end result that matters - because of everything we previously considered, failure simply becomes part of the process of success. Then we have indeed "failed forward!"

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time."

~ Unattributed

FALL FORWARD!

With the arrival of the fall season, life’s pace picks up a bit. With the dog days of summer behind us, we look toward the seasonal shifts in business and the approaching holidays. Our “To Do” lists start to get longer, and our enthusiasm sometimes wanes.

So as the days get shorter, how do we increase our productivity? The short answer is “a little bit at a time.” Specifically, just fifteen minutes at a time, according to REALTOR Magazine “Sales Coach” John D. Mayfield.

The argument is simple: you get more done by organizing your day into small chunks of time, instead of devoting three hour blocks to a project. It’s only when we’ve fallen too far behind that we force ourselves to spend so much time and effort on an unfinished task. Then we burn out and can’t seem to get anything done at all.

Take something as routine and unexciting as catching up on phone calls or email messages. Put it off all week, and suddenly you’ve got thirty calls to return and ninety messages in your Inbox. But just fifteen minutes a day spent on each of these two tasks adds up to two and half hours of quality work during the week. Extend that concept to other things like exercise and reading, both of which improve the rest of your day and your labor.

Devoting fifteen minutes isn’t difficult, and once you’ve begun, you might find yourself working even longer. Maybe you’ll feel that the project at hand isn’t so overwhelming after all, and once it’s behind you, you’ll feel renewed enthusiasm for the next item on the “To Do” list.

Ultimately, just remember that fifteen minutes a day is better than nothing at all, and in one hour you can begin to attack up to four different responsibilities. John Mayfield reminds us of the old Chinese proverb: “A minute of time is an inch of gold.” Invest just a few minutes and discover your reward!

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work."

~ Aristotle

GOOD HOUSEKEEPING?

Aristotle’s quote seems pretty straightforward: If you like what you're doing, chances are you'll do it pretty well, and will find your work satisfying.

But what about the dozens of smaller jobs that we do on a regular basis and do not particularly enjoy - chores we consider robberies of time, but necessary? You know, housecleaning or mowing the lawn or grocery shopping or washing the car.

The fact is that most of us have too much on our "To Do" lists, and much of our “free time” is spent on what we consider menial work that we often begin to actually resent. Viewed objectively, however, how many of the items on your list of chores have self-imposed deadlines and subjective requirements?

Are you setting standards that are unnecessarily high or that are interfering with your enjoyment of time with your family and friends? When you lament "having no time," stop and consider to what extent that is due to your own personal sense of priorities.

You might re-evaluate what is truly essential. Chances are that duties to which you're giving up your entire Saturday are not as important to others as having time to spend with you. After all, how many of us are introduced, "This is Joe - he really keeps his lawn looking great...” or, “This is Mary - she's a wonderful housekeeper…"? How many of our children tell their friends, "You'll really like my mom and dad. They keep all the windows in our house clean…"?

Put down the car wax and the mop and get out and enjoy some time with friends or family, or - here’s a novelty - just yourself. It’s quite likely that the sun will still rise the next day, and your To Do list will wait for you!

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best."

~ Epictetus

GIVE YOURSELF A LIFT!

Have you ever aspired to be deeply depressed? On your list of major life's achievements, have you included becoming an itinerant ne'er-do-well? Does your daily task list include hanging out at the local pub, gossiping over the back fence with nosy neighbors, or spending time with a loser who does nothing but grouse about how the world has dealt him a lousy hand?

Did that first paragraph seem to pull you down? Did you say, "Ridiculous! Who would want to do those things?" If so, congratulations, you've already received this week's message.

Now, let's give this message a lift. Have you ever met someone with a bright inspiring spirit about them, and thought to yourself, "Wow, I'd like to know them better!" Have you noticed that when you attend a community education course, you leave with many fresh new ideas and a powerful boost in your attitude?

A well-known quote says, "You are what you think about all day long." If you hang out with the losers, your thoughts are likely to be dark and depressing. Spend time with those who possess magic in their attitude and enthusiastic vitality in their work ethic, and your thoughts are likely to soar.

Take a close look at your list of goals for this year. Have you included the addition of positive new personal relationships in your work and play environment? Remember that "to have a friend, you must first be a friend." Consider expanding your sphere of contacts to include those who would inspire you to greatness!

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"It is best to act with confidence, no matter how little right you have to it."

~ Lillian Hellman

EVALUATE THIS!

So, when was the last test or exam that you took? Or have you experienced a recent evaluation of your work? Many of us, even if we're "the boss," have to go through a periodic appraisal of how well we carry out our jobs. Often, this assessment comes from outside - a supervisor "objectively" examines our performance. But what if you yourself could take the responsibility for your own evaluation?

The trouble with some people is that they give themselves poor grades, sometimes in spite of the fact that others may highly regard their work. Those who lack confidence in their own ability to lead and to succeed often dismiss evidence that clearly illustrates their potential. If you're not happy with your own work, it simply won't matter how others feel about it.

Remember that feelings don't depend on the facts. Feelings actually create the truth. Think of it this way: your feeling of confidence begins with the feeling, and it's that feeling that then creates the confidence! You become self-assured by first believing in yourself. You don't break out of the starting gate, dash first across the finish line, and then begin to believe you're a winner. That's putting the cart before the horse!

Beginning with the belief that you will succeed is the first and necessary step toward achieving your goal. Sometimes you will win and sometimes you will not, that's a fact of life. But as long as you carry your faith in yourself, you'll always possess that potential to win that some people simply lack. They haven't yet realized that improving their performance begins with improving their feelings about themselves.

Roy L. Smith said, "The man who cannot believe in himself cannot believe in anything else." So choose whatever goal your heart desires, but first choose to believe in your ability to reach it!

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"Wise sayings often fall on barren ground,but a kind word is never thrown away."

~ Sir Arthur Helps

EASY AS 1-2-3!

Remember the old "Dirty Harry" movies? Clint Eastwood delivered the scowling expression and threatening phrase "Go ahead, make my day." The implication was that Harry's day would be complete if only the criminal facing the end of his gun barrel would just flinch and give Harry the excuse he needed to blow him away.

Okay, that doesn't sound like good fodder for an inspiring Coffee column, but it is a good pop culture reference to beg the question "What does it take to make YOUR day?" Or, even better, "What does it take to make someone else's day?"

You might think it challenging to find a way to really pick someone up, but remember that you don't necessarily have to be "down" to be lifted up. The truth is that we have absolutely no idea when we could be making a life-altering impact on somebody, with just a simple word or act of kindness.

Let someone you work with, out of the clear blue, how much you appreciate their contributions. Or tell them how much confidence you have in their work or their ability to complete an upcoming project with flying colors. You'll be amazed how their expression brightens, their pace suddenly picks up, and everything about them says, "You just made my day!"

We live in an increasingly fast-paced society, where more and better work - completed in less time - is simply expected. Make it clear at work and at home that while performance is expected, it is also nurtured and rewarded, if only with kind words and fair treatment. Soon you'll find everyone around you meeting and exceeding those expectations.

We know the old real estate adage: the three most important features of a property are "location, location, and location." In light of this week's topic, consider that Henry James said, "Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind."

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." ~ William Shedd

"He that will not sail till all dangers are over must never put to sea." ~ Thomas Fuller

CAST OFF YOUR SAFETY NET!

Taken any chances lately? Have you a had a strong desire or some sense of wanderlust, but feared the consequences, or simply thought better of it? Just remember the old adage, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

Of course we all desire a sense of security, and we don't relish the idea of courting danger. But look back on some of your most satisfying accomplishments - didn't they result from taking action that you or others first thought might be risky?

If we always stick to the path most traveled, we'll never discover anything new about our world or ourselves. Fearing the unknown will never allow us to understand it. Only by coming to understand the risks we might take can we develop the confidence and the courage necessary to overcome the dangers associated with trying to achieve our imaginative goals.

Don't allow yourself to be numbered among those who look back and wonder, "What if . . ." A well developed plan of action and some caution in its execution are advisable, but by all means move forward! Staying where you are and following the status quo is easy and safe, but it's likely that your dreams go way beyond where you are now. Don't let those dreams remain unrealized because you're afraid of the hazards involved in making them come true.

Like the ship in the harbor, you were built for greater things. It is the very meaning of life to struggle for what we most want and push the boundaries of our understanding, thereby improving the quality of our life and even of those around us.

Finally, consider the words of Brooks Atkinson, who said, "This nation was built by men who took risks - pioneers who were not afraid of the wilderness, business men who were not afraid of failure, scientists who were not afraid of the truth, thinkers who were not afraid of progress, dreamers who were not afraid of action."