Finding The Positives

There is a small book sold in the gift shop at Pearl Harbor entitled, "Reflections on Pearl Harbor" by Admiral Chester Nimitz.
  

In the book it explains how on Sunday, December 7th, 1941 Admiral Chester Nimitz was attending a concert in Washington D.C....He was paged and told there was a phone call for him. When he answered the phone, it was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He told Admiral Nimitz that he (Nimitz) would now be the Commander of the Pacific Fleet.

Admiral Nimitz immediately flew to Hawaii to assume command of the Pacific Fleet. He landed at Pearl Harbor on Christmas Eve, 1941. There was such a spirit of despair, dejection and defeat--you would have thought the Japanese had already won the war.

On Christmas Day, 1941, Adm. Nimitz was given a boat tour of the destruction wrought on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. Big sunken battleships and navy vessels cluttered the waters every where you looked. As the tour boat returned to dock, the young helmsman of the boat asked, "Well Admiral, what do you think after seeing all this destruction?" ...Admiral Nimitz's reply shocked everyone within the sound of his voice.

Admiral Nimitz said, "The Japanese made three of the biggest mistakes an attack force could ever make, or God was taking care of America. Which do you think it was?"

Shocked and surprised, the young helmsman asked, "What do mean by saying the Japanese made the three biggest mistakes an attack force ever made?"...Nimitz explained:

Mistake number one: the Japanese attacked on Sunday morning. Nine out of every 10 crewmen of those ships were ashore on liberty. If those same ships had been lured to sea and been sunk--we would have lost 38,000 men instead of 3,800.

Mistake number two: when the Japanese saw all those battleships lined in a row, they got so carried away sinking those battleships, they never once bombed our dry docks opposite those ships.

If they had destroyed our dry docks, we would have had to tow everyone of those ships to America to be repaired. As it is now, the ships are in shallow water and can be raised. One tug can pull them over to the dry docks, and we can have them repaired and at sea by the time we could have towed them to America...And I already have crews ashore anxious to man those ships.

Mistake number three: Every drop of fuel in the Pacific theater of war is on top of the ground in storage tanks five miles away over that hill. One attack plane could have strafed those tanks and destroyed our fuel supply.

That's why I say the Japanese made three of the biggest mistakes an attack force could make, or God was taking care of America. There is a reason that our national motto is, "IN GOD WE TRUST."

Anyway you look at it--Admiral Nimitz was able to see a silver lining in a situation and circumstance where everyone else saw only despair and defeatism. President Roosevelt had chosen the right man for the right job... and during those trying times the United States desperately needed a leader who could see silver linings in the midst of the clouds of dejection, despair and defeat....
 

We are also in trying times...the last 7 years have seen some of the best of times and the worst of times. Now is the time for positive leadership, Company owners must stand up and give direction and a hope for the future for their Associates, Office Managers need, now more than ever, to be a positive Coaching influence for the new and the experienced agents...and Associates need to be a positive source of real estate knowledge for their clients.

Become "The Voice" for real estate...positive news and attitudes will produce positive outcomes.

A few positive Real Estate Stats for our area:

  

• Number of Homes Closed in TMLS Jul - Oct of 2011 was up over 13% from the same period in 2010...a positive for Seller Clients
• Median Sales Price YTD 2011 is down 0.5% over YTD 2010...a positive for Buyer Clients
• Average Sales Price YTD 2011 is up 1.5% over YTD 2010...a positive for Seller Clients
• Pending Sales have been higher month over month 2011 vs. 2010 for the last 5 consecutive months...a positive for everyone!
• The Housing Affordability Index has averaged 15 points higher since June of 2011 compared to 2010...another all around positive stat.!

Think positive and positive things will happen for you!

Eddie Brown- December 2011

Stress - Break-Down or Break-Thru!

Life is made up of a series of choices…If your professional or personal life is chaotic and hectic it usually emanates from your own choices. Many of us go from extinguishing one fire to the next, believing we never have enough time to do all the things on our list… Stress Relief is easier than you think!

I recently finished a book published by Simple Truths on dealing with stress. The author writes how life is a series of choices and how being stress free is just but one of those choices. In todays world of gadgets and technology we seem to always be tempted to fit more and more “things” into our lives and schedules. Recently it seems many, (myself included), are longing for a much simpler life…unfortunately  most can’t slow down long enough to see through all the clutter which has built up in their lives.

In order to identify the problem causing the stress you must first step back and look at the big picture before starting the simplification process. Look to see what’s missing …(It’s just as important to the process to see what isn’t there …because what isn’t there could be the root cause of the stress).  Discover if you are missing time with family, personal recharge time, or some other small, seemingly insignificant, part which is causing your stress.

Henry David Thoreau once said…”It’s not what you look at that matters…it’s what you see”. (Go to How do you handle personal and business challenges )…So ask yourself these questions: What’s missing in my life? Am I spending too much time on things that don’t really matter? What choices am I making right now which cause me stress?

Timing Is Everything: Garrett Hedlund performs a song titled “Timing Is Everything” part of the lyrics rings true for this blog topic…

“When the stars line up…and you catch a good break
and people think you’re lucky…but you know it’s grace
it can happen so fast…or a little bit late…timing is everything”

Below are several Tips To Improve Your “Timing”…

1). Life can become very full…Very fast! The key to timing is to “Schedule your Priorities not Prioritize your Schedule”…Blocking off time for who and what is most important in our lives can actually free us up to give laser like focus on  everything else.

(Go to Eat Your Frog First )

2). Good things can happen when you get your priorities straight. Do you have an order for your priorities in your life or is everything in competition with each other day after day…month after month? Make the choice to carve out some “me time” every day…you may find out it the best choice you’ve ever made.

(Go to t-i-m-e )

3). Are your wants and needs balanced?…

Vernon Howard once said “You have succeeded in life when all you really want… is only what you really need” …

Easy to say but hard to follow! In this world of instant gratification some of us have found ourselves surrounded by a mountain of useless junk. Are all these “things” bringing us joy or stress? I can remember Christmas when our two girls were younger…staying up late putting together tons of what I affectionately referred to as “plastic crap”…then only to have to store it in the attic in February because the girls no longer played with them…making room for more “plastic crap” they got for birthdays. 

What I most remember about my childhood are the outdoor games we played, the walks through the woods and fields of my family’s farm, and the times we spent together…It was a simpler time back in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Is it wrong to want to get just a little of that feeling back? Memories and Meaning don’t lie within the material things we own…Meaning lies within us. When you start to love your material things, you are loving things which can’t love you back. Love only that which can love you back! Ask yourself…How much is enough? What can you de-clutter in your life to reduce stress?

“Stress is the trash of modern life…we all generate it…and if you don’t dispose of it often, it will pile up and overtake your life” – Terri Guillemets

4). By slowing down we can take the time to discover our purpose and make the choice to fully live each day… In NASCAR there is a saying…”sometimes to have to slow down in order to go fast”.  We rarely slow down by choice, sometimes life intervenes and does the “slowing down” for us…whether by illness, job loss, or worse…Before something else intervenes on your behalf…make the conscious choice to slow down.

SLOW DOWN…and the “wants” you have been chasing just may come around and catch you.    *Excerpts taken from Stress is a Choice: 10 Simple Rules To Simplify Your Life… by David Zerfoss

Eddie Brown 2011

www.ICU-Coaching.com

Never Under-Estimate The Power Of Persistence!

Ever feel like there are times when things seem a little more difficult than normal? That you just can’t seem to catch a break…You seem to be working harder and longer but you are not seeing the rewards yet?

There is no doubt the real estate business is as hard right as it has ever been…but now is the time to choose perseverance over defeat! Character is created during hard times…remember what Conan The Warrior said: “That which does not kill us only makes us stronger!” Just as gold becomes more pure as it is refined, we become stronger each time we are tested.

No one is saying being tested is an easy process…in fact the normal reaction is to run from the source of pain or to blame others for our troubles. It’s when we decide to push forward…past the pain…that real growth is seen. Continued…Patient Effort…Give it your best shot and never give up…You must decide that you, your family, and your business are worth it!

Keep Your Eyes on Your Goals:

Keep telling yourself…”This is who I want to become and I will keep going till I get there…NO MATTER WHAT!” Build your plans around hope…not fear… and remember… you can do anything you set your mind to.

Focus on What You Can Control…Not What You Can’t:

You can’t and never will be able to control market conditions…so don’t try. But you can control your actions and your attitude... and you can choose who you associate with… (positive or negative).

Rededicate Yourself To a Daily Routine To Revive Your Business:

The small activities you do each day, like writing hand written notes to your Book of Business (B.o.B.)…or doing pop-by visits…when done consistently and persistently, has the power to generate referrals. Creating productive business habits will keep you on track to reach your income goals. Activity=Results!

Turn To Mentors:

The guidance of more experienced professionals whom you admire and respect is priceless. Foster these relationships and allow camaraderie to fuel your efforts.

Seek Out Inspiration:

Look for sources of encouragement which are positive and productive and avoid negative media and influences. Listen to music, and read articles and books which boost your mental and physical energy levels.

Celebrate The Small Victories:

Commit to accomplishing at least one little thing each day, keeping in mind it could take some time to see a bigger payoff...lots of little activities done consistently will lead to bigger future rewards. Tracking your results can also help you build momentum in your business.

Always remember to devote some time to enjoy your life so you can re-energize and come back to work prepared to fully engage.

Eddie Brown ©2011

www.ICU-Coaching.com