Archive for the ‘INSPIRATIONAL’ Category
Your Optimism Advantage
Friday, March 12th, 2010
What would your business, relationships and life look like if you always had an optimistic outlook, regardless of circumstances? Some people might say, that’s being a Pollyanna. Perhaps, but is that so bad?
In today’s crazy and increasingly uncertain world we have very little direct control over our circumstances. But we have absolute control over our attitude about them. Which do you think is the most empowering: constant worry and frustration, or being optimistic that your actions and circumstances will eventually prevail? After all, most of our fears never materialize so think about all that wasted energy worrying about them (and frankly, worry never fixes anything).
An optimistic outlook is one where the glass is always half full and filling rapidly. Sure there will be disappointments, but “disappointment” is just a feeling, it has no real power to hurt you unless you give in to it. I still remember my Mom’s best intentions in telling me: “Don’t get your hopes up, otherwise you’ll be disappointed!” Now there’s a sure-fire formula for a life of mediocrity and a dulled sense of living…
Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”.
Helen Keller
Can you imagine Helen Keller saying “Don’t get your hopes up.” Sorry, moms aren’t always right and optimism, even in the toughest of times, will serve you better than any of the alternatives.
Speaking of optimism, don’t forget to register for a very special free LIVE video keynote by Dr. Terry Paulson who just wrote “The Optimism Advantage”. He is a world-class speaker (and past President of the National Speakers Association). Just CLICK HERE to register for this extraordinary live session on April 7th from 3:00pm – 4:00pm EDT. I guarantee your glass will be overflowing by the time he finishes :0)
How to Turn F.U.D. Into Carpe Diem
Saturday, March 6th, 2010
If you were to make a list of all the problems affecting your life and business chances are that list would be long. Yet, given the state of world affairs, it would pale beside the ones we are all likely to face in the near future.
The stark reality is that most of what happens to us, or is likely to happen to us is out of our direct control. Sure, there are things we all can do to mitigate the negative outcomes, but they won’t eliminate all or even most of them.
As a result, most people live in a state of FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt). They are either debilitated to the point of being paralyzed by it, or they engage in furious action thinking somehow they can thwart what they fear most. While taking action is almost always better than doing nothing, there is still something missing here. And that is, how we internalize and react to those things of which we have no control…
It’s not what happens to us that matters, it’s how we react to it.
W. Mitchell
The only thing we have control over really is how we react to something. We have been given a gift that no other living being has, and that is the ability to choose. We can choose how to react to outside circumstances in a way that empowers us rather than enslaves us, which effectively gives us a way to “bend” our own reality…
Is there something outside of you that’s troubling you? The distress you’re feeling is not from the thing itself. The distress you experience is from what you think of it and the way you feel about it. You can change that in an instant.
You can change what you fear into what you eagerly anticipate. You can change a burdensome problem into a magnificent opportunity.
Ralph Marston
So think about this the next time you see something as insurmountable or feel a sense of dread. It just may be the best opportunity to come your way in a long, long time.
Ignorance Is, Well… Ignorance
Friday, February 26th, 2010
My Mom had an expression to describe the innocence of my Dad’s world view: “Ignorance is bliss.” Apparently that particular trait was not passed down to me given one of my favorite expressions is: “Better the devil you know than the one you don’t.”
Unfortunately “Ignorance is bliss” is the way far too many people live their lives or go about their business. It’s easy to see why. It’s a way to avoid the unpleasantness that is a part of our existence here on earth. It’s also the way to avoid taking responsibility to make things better for ourselves and those around us.
Choosing the “bliss” of ignorance is choosing to be unconscious. It also means lost opportunity, failure to see real danger and often being the cause of it…
Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Seeing things for what they really are is often not a fun experience. It is necessary however if you want to thrive in a world that is changing at light speed. The key is to not internalize what’s happening “out there”. Observe it, make behavioral adjustments as needed and move on. Reality becomes painful primarily when we turn it into a story about us rather than acknowledging that it is simply “what is”. Easier said than done, I know —which is why so many people opt for the bliss of ignorance. BTW, if ignorance was bliss, then why aren’t there more happy people? Something to think about…
Do You Have the Will to Win?
Friday, February 19th, 2010
Having you been watching the Winter Olympics? These athletes are beyond amazing. They train tirelessly for years just for the chance of competing for a medal that says to the world they are the best at what they do.
And, for the most part they are unstoppable. Lindsey Vonn still manages to shake off brutal injuries and pain to become the world’s fastest women downhill skier. Aside from raw talent, what makes these people champions while everyone else is either a wannabe or a spectator?
In a word, it’s their will to win. Their will is indomitable and laser focused. They let nothing get in the way of their goals and dream of winning a Gold Medal. So is this force of will just the province of lithe athletic gods, or is it something that we all have the potential of tapping into…
You have the means to get it done. There is no question of that. If it’s not happening for you, there’s really just one thing missing. Somewhere, somehow, you lack the will to do what it takes.
Yes, of course there are all kinds of obstacles. Certainly it is not easy and there are plenty of completely understandable reasons why you have not gotten it done. Even so, you know it is possible. And indeed it is possible for you.
Excuses won’t do it. Commitment, and the focused, persistent action to back it up, are what will get you there. It’s your choice and it’s your life. Right now, your greatest possibilities await your will to make them happen.
Ralph Marston
In my business (of coaching sales professionals) I run into a lot of who confuse lip service for will. Then there are those who give their will substance through committed, focused and persistent action. You can tell these individuals are champions right out of the gate. Their actions speak much more loudly than their words.
Fortunately your will is something you have total control over. Unlike native intelligence or athletic ability, your “will potential” is a function of choice —yours.
Turn Weaknesses Into Strengths
Saturday, February 13th, 2010
Think about this for a moment: What’s your biggest weakness that affects your business? Is it not being detail oriented, inability to delegate or is it that technology makes your skin crawl?
Whatever you just identified is potentially the source for the most positive change in your career. My dad often told me to turn my weaknesses into my strengths. It was a great saying that I really never thought much about until recently.
It’s easy and frankly a lot more fun to keep focusing on those talents we are very good at. However by just concentrating on what we do best we risk the potential for becoming out of balance and not very effective. It’s like exercising just your right arm because you happen to be right-handed. Imagine how weird that would look. Just as an aside, I once worked for someone who broke his left arm which caused it to atrophy and become very weak. He took the idea of turning weakness into strength quite literally until he could do seven one-handed chin ups with that “weak” arm!
Working to strengthen our weaknesses by definition takes us out of our comfort zone, but the payoffs when we do are enormous…
…transforming a weakness into a strength can make all your other strengths more effective. When the weakness is no longer holding you back, every part of your life will see the benefits
Ralph Marston
If you had ever met me in high school I would have been the last person in the world you would have expected to become a successful international speaker and author. I had the social skills of a rusty lamp post. So take another moment to think about how your career and life would be different if you turned just one weakness into your strength…
First Time Buyer Niche Success Story
Saturday, February 6th, 2010Take one relatively new sales associate, add liberal helpings of passion and commitment and you end up with someone who comes out on top. Here’s how she did it (in her own words).
Hi Michael
Just wanted to say I’ve loved what having a niche has done for my business from a personal enjoyment point of view. (it sucks to hate your job). Tomorrow I meet with my broker to go over my business plan for 2010 and I am excited and proud of what I’m doing.
I just had my second annual VIP Client appreciation party, and put pix up on my photo blog. I got a lot of community involvement (donations of prizes) which generated awareness of my business, re-grouping with old clients (who now really love me) and the photo evidence is now further marketing material… so I am sure things could be improved upon, but I wanted to share it with you – here’s the link to my latest photo blog entry: http://photos.dreamhomearlington.com
But the point of this email was to tell you how much I’ve personally enjoyed developing my niche of working with First X Buyers – it totally gives me focus, and something more interesting to talk about than “I sell houses” My broker thinks I’m brilliant. (blush) and credit to Mr. Internet!
Also, something I just did that others may find interesting: I had $50 American Express gift cards made up with my logo on them - and I’ve been giving them to buyers at Closing, along with a bottle of champagne. I have also used them as “THANK YOU!’s” for referrals. People remember me when they spend the money, and it’s kind of a hit – so I thought I’d share it in case you think others may want to do this. Thanks again, and I welcome any input on my blog/ site, or whatever!
Bija Satterlee
Bowes GMAC
1010 Mass Ave, Arlington 02476
781-354-4835 c
781-643-1741 f
www.bowesre.com
www.dreamhomearlington.com
http://photos.dreamhomearlington.com
http://blog.dreamhomearlington.com
I received the above email last Wednesday. Bija has since had her annual business review with her broker and followed up with this (received just a few hours ago):
“…I had my annual business meeting review with my broker, and he said not only was I among the top producers in town, and in our office, in his words “Ive never seen an agent put the ‘whole package’ together quite like you have – with your niche, your web site, your blog, the seminars, the whole deal.” I have areas I need to improve in, but he said he was very impressed and proud to have me as an agent in his office. So that was like hitting the jackpot – to get recognition like that from him.”
Do you get a sense of how much she loves the process? That is actually one of her most powerful success secrets. If you don’t believe me, just read the following post…
So that was like hitting the jackpot – to get recognition like that from him.
How to Immediately Eliminate Frustration in Your Business
Thursday, February 4th, 2010
What does CSI, ice cream and the latest, greatest real estate marketing tools have in common? Something that could forever hold you back if you aren’t careful…
Solving an exciting major crime in just 45 minutes, experiencing that luscious feeling of sweet cream melting in your mouth and believing that the latest real estate “silver bullet” will solve all your problems are all examples of instant gratification.
Hey, I like watching a great TV show and eating ice cream as much as the next person. I even paid $249 for an awesome book on writing headlines, titled: “How to Write Great Headlines Instantly!” (which unfortunately was 160 pages pages long – so much for “instantly”).
The problem is that our collective sense of what is important is increasingly based upon “Get it now with the least amount of effort“. Short term pleasure often results in long-term pain. Time lost, weight gained and precious financial resources badly misplaced in so-called solutions that promise little or no effort to see immediate substantial benefit.
It is only natural to want instant results with the least amount of effort. In fact it’s wired right into our survival mechanism. However, what helped us survive often holds us back from reaching our full potential. That requires hard work, dedication and a willingness to transform our need for gratification into fulfillment 0f enjoying the process…
Every achievement requires many efforts. Those individual efforts combine with each other to bring the desired result.
Ralph Marston
If you set your egoic goals for the purpose of freeing yourself, enhancing yourself or your sense of importance, even if you achieve them, they will not satisfy you.
Eckhart Tolle
One of the most powerful ways to overcome the allure of instant gratification is to take pleasure in the process of whatever you do. This means the act of doing what is necessary is even more fulfilling than the results you are striving to achieve.
While we can perhaps rightfully blame Madison Avenue for pushing the drug of “You deserve to have it now!”, each of us certainly has the ability to simply just say “no”. Instant gratification never fills the void of desire nor built a sustainable business. Enjoying the process of doing what’s necessary pretty much always does…
(BTW, before you send in a comment pointing out the irony of this post’s title, let me assure you it was full intended :0)
How Your Lizard-Brain Holds You Back
Friday, January 29th, 2010
How can nature be so cruel? I was just reading a blog by Seth Godin about the reptilian part of our brain —the one that evolved first.
This little nodule buried deep within the folds of our grey matter has one primary purpose —survival. How ironic that this clump of cells, at this stage of our human evolution, threatens at best our ability to achieve full potential and at worst the very survival of our species.
So what does this have to do with doing more real estate deals? Actually, just about everything. You see, you can blame your reptilian brain for:
- Talking yourself out of going the extra mile to realize your dreams;
- Reacting negatively (and blaming others) for set backs;
- Acting like everyone else does in the business, effectively eliminating differentiation;
- Not taking a chance by breaking out of old behavior patterns.
Yes, that old lizard lump thinks it’s protecting you when in fact it is holding you back. After all, it’s not very smart…
Your lizard brain is here to stay, and your job is to figure out how to quiet it and ignore it..
Seth Godin (from Quieting the Lizard Brain)
Unlike other animals though, we do have the ability to overcome what are effectively primal survival urges. However, it first takes awareness (of their influence) then committed action to change our instinctual behavior. Fortunately, we also have a highly evolved Human Spirit that each of us can tap into to rise above just reacting and surviving. We already survived, now it’s time to flourish.
How to Create Extraordinary Results
Friday, January 22nd, 2010
What if a famous and wealthy person came up to you and made this offer: “I’ll pay you $500,000 if you bring in 10 new listings in the next 5 days.” Chances are that your mind will start reeling with ideas on how you are going to accomplish that goal. At that very instant, you have become committed.
Unfortunately, most people don’t know the meaning of the word. They spend more time telling people what they are going to do than actually doing it. Lip service is never a substitute for true commitment.
The issue is not whether we are capable of commitment, it’s making sure the vision of the outcome is strong enough to maintain our committed actions. And this explains knowing why you do what you do is so darned critical to commitment and hence your overall success…
Are you committed to just getting by, to just getting through the day with as little effort as possible? Or are you committed to something greater, something magnificent and exciting and fulfilling?
Whatever you’re truly committed to, is exactly what you’ll achieve. Whatever you’re truly committed to, determines the kind of life that you lead.
Ralph Marston
If you find your energy flagging and commitment waning perhaps it’s time to examine what is truly important to you. So right now, this very moment, take the risk of finding your unique “magnificent obsession”, your fundamental sense of why you are here on this planet. This a choice you can make. And when you do, be ready for your new-found commitment to lead you into a life you never thought possible.
How to Have 90% of Your Business Come From Online
Sunday, January 17th, 2010
If you were to name the number one criteria for success in this business, what would it be? Talent, knowledge, connections or a combination of all three?
Given that most people in real estate sales barely make a living, perhaps a better question would be “What do most sales people fail to do?” And I can answer that in a heart beat, they fail to implement the ideas and strategies they already possess.
During last week’s Live Group Coaching session we had one of my very long-term and highly successful students, Douglas Newby share the secrets to his incredible online success. He went from doing practically nothing online to having it comprise 90% of his continually growing business.
If you listened carefully for the “theme” behind his success, it was his committed persistence to implement what he learns. Now imagine that, actually putting into practice new ideas —who would have thought…
A good idea is about ten percent and implementation and hard work, and luck is 90 percent.
Guy Kawasaki
In speaking to the industry for over 15 years I have found that perhaps 1% – 2% of sales associates in any training program fully implement what they learn. So what do the rest do? Well it seems that they are on a never ending quest to find the elusive “silver bullet” that will solve all their problems by simply writing a check. Good luck with that.
The good news is that the ability to consistently implement is a learned behavior. Which means that you can choose to use this sure-fire success strategy at any time. It’s simply a matter of making the choice and then, well… implementing it 
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