The “Wah Factor”

I spent sometime today with a person that always seems to be pressed on their luck. Normally, I would choose to not subject myself to become a sounding board to continuous complaints and excuses, but sometimes in order to get something you want, you have to deal with those you’d rather not. As they were excusing themselves for not having a job, or not working or why this didn’t work out, all due to their parents’ illnesses and decade-plus-ago death, I was thinking to myself, this person really has a low ‘wah factor’. Let’s face it: we all cry “wah”, we all find ourselves complaining, or irritated or up against hard times, but come on… how long are you going to cry about something? AND when is it a good time to cry about something? What is one’s threshold or tolerance before they start bitching to everyone about it? And how long can they go on… and on… and on… about it, before making a change and doing something about it. Have you ever read the book, “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff– and It’s All Small Stuff?” If you haven’t, you should, if you’re a worrier or a complainer, you should, if you think you’re not a worrier or a complainer– you should. It’s a short read, a good back-of-the-toilet-book.

So, what is your “wah factor”? What is your tolerance for life’s mishaps? When does your outcry begin? After a bad morning? After a bad week? I would be willing to be the ones with the lowest “wah factors” tend to fall into ruts most often, and tend to share their poisonous negativity (aka bitching) the most often.

Don’t you just love a good story of perseverance and commitment in all things? The Rudy’s, The Chris Gardner’s, The Abraham Lincoln’s. Take a look at any of those stories, that is a true American example of a very high wah-factor.

Onward, Forward

Falling in & out of habits can be feel very destructive but some people just are not drawn to a pattern of consistency. I am ONE of those people. I like spontaneity, I like rapidly changing my mind, I like being in control of my schedule, I like deciding that I’m going to go for a run, or stop at the store, or squeeze in an appointment.

Which brings me to why I perhaps fall into and out of habits and have a more cyclical pattern of exercise. Is this an excuse for falling off the path? Maybe. Often, what ends up happening in my case: I come back stronger. That brings me to where I’m at now, and where I’m headed.

I am running, probably more like trotting-jogging. Recently, I’ve been incorporating some of the cross-fit moves I learned. Stopping when I see a bench, and jumping 20 times, when I feel like it’s time for a break from jogging, taking a few breaths and then popping in some jumping jacks. Last night, I even ran to a playground and did some knees to elbows on the monkey bars, some triceps dips on the bench, and push-ups.

After taking pretty much the month of February of f from exercising- this April I have re-motivated myself and am validating the time I took off. I’m sure I would be better off now, if I did continue my progress. As my mother would often state after getting side tracked or experiencing hesitancy… “Onward, Forward.”

Design or Default?

 A KW BOLD Graduate kindly shared her tip of the week with me, and rather than paraphrasing what she has put together so perfectly, I thought I would share her exact words with you. Thank You, Kim Beuhler.

“People who live their life by design know what they want and they take the steps to get there. They put things into place that will allow them to reach their goals. They don’t let their circumstances control them. If they meet an obstacle, they go over, under or through it to reach their goals. 

On the other hand, people who live their life by default tend to be the ones who blame other people for their situation. They are the people who feel life has dealt them an unfair hand; and they just accept life by default and resign themselves to being stuck forever, never excelling, settling for mediocrity.

Can you imagine if people like Thomas Edison and Henry Ford had lived their lives by default rather than design? Have you been guilty of living your life by default? Come on! No more settling for mediocrity! Let’s get designing!”

Owning for Less Than Rent

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Now Using Pinterest

I Decided to check out Pinterest, a new client of mine was updating me on a past client of mine and all of the incredible remodeling he was doing to the house I sold him. He told me in detail of the bathroom job they were doing, and the neat ideas, and of course, I asked how in the world did they think of such an incredible idea? “Pintrest!” I also have been seeing a lot of my lady friends “pinning” on Facebook. 

So… I’m there… Pinning. Still learning how to use it, and finding what I like. If you have any tips, please let me know– Please share. The best thing about all of the advances in the web is all of the sharing of tricks and knowledge and ideas. Happy Pinning.

The Best Homes in Camillus

Search the **BEST** Homes For Sale in Camillus

Lucky Times, Be Grateful.

We are so lucky to live in the time that we do…Regardless of the economic downturn, the inflation of a gallon of milk, or the escalating fuel costs. True:  This causes inconveniences to our routine, and not to state some obvious examples here, but I’m going to: We have fresh, cold, safe, healthy milk readily available to us at our local grocer. We have gas stations in our towns across the country, for miles. And if that’s not enough for you, some stores even offer a discount on gasoline if you buy enough milk, or bread, or Cheetos. Which by the way, these items are sometimes available at the same place the gasoline is sold. AND are even open  24 hrs. The point is, on any given day, at any given time there is food available to us. There was a time when this was not the case:  fresh vegetables weren’t flown in from the other side of the world or meat was recalled on a national level because a few people got sick on the other side of the country. We are lucky!! When a bad burger gets patted out and served 5 states away, you find out before the meat thaws and get fed to your family, “Don’t eat that!”

There was a time in our history when people literally prayed to God, to thank him for the food they were able to eat that moment. People took a moment to honor the appreciation for the things they were able to obtain. I pray before a meal and honestly, it’s usually not because I am stricken with a deep thankfulness for the meal, it’s due to habit and tradition. The prayer we always say, all the time, before every meal growing up. Food.

Another time people used to pray, was before they went to sleep. The life span of a person used to be a lot shorter. So before a night’s rest, people would actually pray and pray HARD, thanking for their good health and pray that it would continue. Before our modern medical advances, surviving an illness was a very big deal.

As the world advances, our demands increase and our gratitude seems to fade. I think gratitude gives us perspective, keeps us grounded and in touch with the awesomeness of the world on a global scale and on an individual personal and private scale.  Habitually sending and receiving gratitude in our daily gives a humbling perspective. So, the next time you’re at the grocery store  thinking “Oh My God” because Asian Pears are $3 a pop, remember: It’s February, and you’re in a heated mega grocery store with debating whether you want to pay $3 for a piece of fresh fruit from China. So how about a little less “OMG” and a little more “TTL?” (Thank the Lord, or logistics for getting the item in front of you.)

Real Estate Market is Like a Long, Long Relationship

A “veteran” agent just left my open house with some interesting insight. I asked her for some feedback on this beautiful Eastwood home, and that spiraled into a typical conversation… some real estate small talk about buyers and sellers and the market. She told me how long she has been selling and said the market is like a marriage– when its bad you have to work through it but when its good that’s all that matters.
I like that. I like her forward and responsible approach to interpreting the market.

As agents, we have to work. GASP! Yes, work. It’s not all just opening doors for folks with a smile andtaking pictures- I wish! When the market gets tough, there are a lot of difficult conversations we have to have with folks, a lot of “sit downs.” You know when your friend or spouse gives you the “we need to talk” line, well your agent might, too. But if they are direct & intelligent on what is happening regionally & locally in the market, than after “the talk,” you all should walk away with a plan and an approach to achieving your goals, or at the very least:  some options.

And like a long realtionship, when things are good: nothing else matters. When activity is up, feedback is good & people are calling on the sign: all is good. Ultimatley, we need to keep our clients informed, and happy while keeping  their goals at the top of the conversation. A good Realtor will listen, guide and be patient. I  must thank this “veteran agent”, the next time I see her, for her wonderful perspective.

Thankful for No Snow

I’m so thankful for this busy real estate season. Typically, in Central New York, the snow is up to your car door, and buyers want to wait until the weekends to go see homes. But this year, I’ve had showing appointments a few nights per week, without the snow & ice, the roads are safe so we can scoot from the office to a few houses before it gets too dark out. I have more listings, more sold signs, and more contracts written.

I wonder what other businesses or industries are benefiting from the warmer weather? Are more people shopping because it’s easier to hop in the car and drive over to the mall? Could there be more regulars at restaurants? More road trips?

I think most of us can agree, a winter with out the cold & snow is a nice break from the typical blizzardy snow days of Upstate NY.

About Trying

DO OR DO NOT take 2, if you will. In reflecting on a past post about facing challenges and persevering through the struggle, I realized that some things in life are worth only trying. Just to be clear: the purpose of that message was to reinforce something in myself when faced with a challenge or a task that needed to completed: Just Do It!

So, that inspired a reflection of “just trying”. I value the opportunity to TRY things. Tasting, sampling, experiencing, getting the demo version on Mark’s XBox. If you’re in business, that is often what we are exposed to. “For 3 months, we’ll offer you a free service that will increase your market share.”  Ladies, when we buy make up at the beauty counter or through our representatives, they always throw those free samples in your bag, ahhhh! And don’t we just love it!! Who wouldn’t want to sample an expensive moisturizer, or be given a high end primer to try?

Back to “trying.” In life, we are presented with opportunities to test something. Try on a pair of shoes, try a taste of your in-law’s sauce, try to broaden your horizons. If we only go through life “doing or do not-ing”, we would end up with a lot of stuff we wouldn’t need or want. And likely end up on an episode of Hoarders. (A show I do not watch, but the title kind of says it all, so I don’t need to watch it, to find out what happens)

Have you ever seen “Yes Man”, With Jim Carey? He goes to one of those seminars that enlighten him to say “yes” to every opportunity that presents itself. Imagine that for just a moment… add Jim Carey… and now mix in some Red Bull, and… you see where you could end up, right? I don’t mean on a caffeine crash with Fire Marshall Bill.

So consider this a disclaimer to a previous post about DOING and PERSEVERING through challenges. I say fulfill the challenges and embrace opportunities to TRY something new. But, people, be honest with yourself whether it’s just an opportunity to explore or a serious task that must be tackled.

If you’re interesting in broadening your horizons, watch & listen to something worthwhile, TRY: TedTalks. Very different than In Living Color or Hoarders.