There's Always Something

Years back, a great friend of mine said to me, "You're either heading towards a storm, in one, or coming out of one." This statement lived with me. It was said at a time in my life where I may have been in the part between storms aka "the sunny days" or the calm days. And yes, there are several ways of saying this and attributed to a variety of people, but I like thinking my friend made it up. It's deeper when it's a person in you're life and not some stage walker or social media preacher.

Another line that I often think about is "this too shall pass." There are a variety of stories this line is connected to but the one that I always recall is the king having a ring made and the jewelry maker instructed to inscribe a line that could be used to save his life if and when the time shall come. The kingdom goes under siege and the king rides off with his soldier. As they are coming to an edge of a cliff and completely surrounded, the king remembers the ring, reads the inscription, and within that moment, the invading group is thrown off their trail and end up elsewhere with his soldiers able to attack and kill them instead. The king is saved, the people celebrate, and all is good again. As they celebrate, the king is reminded of the line, "this too shall pass." Within that moment, time pauses, clouds come in, and a cold chill runs through the king's body.

Now, we don't want to constantly remind ourselves that life can be full of pain, however, the dark, scary, cold times do teach us. They teach us to prepare better for the next storm. They teach us to show others how to navigate the tough waters of life as well. They also teach sometimes that doing nothing is the best thing we can do and just wait it out. Often, though, we have to allow others to "touch the pan" because we all need to know truly what life or the events have in store for us.

(Ironically, and as a side note, as I typed "touched the pan" i just realized it's just an "i" away from "touch the pain." Also, I was referring to a hot pan in a kitchen setting)

Currently, we are experiencing a government shutdown. There is no pain in the immediate moments for most. It's like saying it will be over in a few days and thing will move on. If it ends within a few days, what changed? Nothing. This just means people didn't want to deal with it and wanted to kick this can down the road some more. For real change to occur, it will take a lot more than a 10 day shutdown to make the changes. And whatever side you believe lead to the government shutting down (everyone blames the other regardless of where you are) needs to stick their beliefs; otherwise, why are they in a role of leadership. Now, I am not saying I want pain, suffering, or misery to come, but I do want all sides and people to be heard and have a voice. Clearly, that isn't the case at this moment.

Real estate is heavily connected to this event and every event that occurs in your life as well, before, during, and after this. As a Realtor, I have experienced a wide range of events that have occurred to others and know the outcome of many. Example---seniors that live in a large home that do not move when they are able bodied and/or of sound mind. Just like not fixing a roof issue, masonry, foundation, or others, things just don't get better in time. Time is the most damning thing because we believe we are the same person we were---fit, able, and of reasonable mind. Unfortunately, this is the biggest fallacy of life that we all experience. This is when doing nothing hurts us more than helps.

What can one do to counter these issues? I recently discussed this in my podcast episode called Flow. I reference a story and scene in Breaking Bad. If you're not familiar with Break Bad, I would suggest watching the show one day, but the overall situation is taking care of a "problem". Our problems or issues in life are all relative and this scene proved it perfectly (and in a deep way). The acting is phenomenal and is really how life is, minus the specific outcome in that scene, hopefully. Think about your friend that complains about every little thing and the other friend that seems to care about nothing. Again, all relative. However, taking control and doing the thing we need to do when we need to do always proves to be the best thing even if the outcome still ends up sucking. At least we removed the threat or the worry in some capacity and probably feel better overall which leads to better outcomes in other areas of our life.

Whenever someone says they cannot do something, it's probably that they don't want to. People that say they are worried about their job probably always worry about their job. People that say they have no money probably never have money. Our excuses tend to rule our life and that needs to stop. Again, storms always keep coming, we keep getting out of them, and this cycle repeats. However, that doesn't mean we can't sometimes stop during the storm, watch the lightning, listen to the thunder and the rain, grab our favorite cocktail or beverage, get comfy, and watch the magic happen during it! And if you're out in the storm, maybe laugh a little! It will do you good!

PERSONAL NOTE: If you're going through a difficult moment in life, please reach out to someone. A friend, family member, a professional. Help is all around you just need to take a moment and remember life is happening to all and there is someone there that will help. This article was written first to talk about that we shouldn't wait in life for the "right time" to do things real estate related. As I edited it and read it again, I realized it got deep. I debated about not posting this actually but it may help someone either find the help they need, take the control they must, or end up where they want...which real estate is all about! And if you watched the scene I am referring to, do not use violence to solve your problems!