Finding Satisfaction

“Two thousand pounds”

Finding Satisfaction

I looked across a large field and watched as about two thousand pounds of hair and flesh were pressing against a failing fence.  Funny how that kind of weight can damage even the strongest of barriers over time.  I dropped what I was doing and went to get some tools.

Once I was armed, with what I thought I needed, I walked through the grass to the damaged area.  By the time I got there the offender had moseyed away acting as if he had done nothing at all.  I stood and stared at the mangled wire.  Another two thousand pounder walked up to greet me.

He was standing right in front of me flashing innocent eyes while hoping to be stroked by my hand.  I reached out and obliged him for a moment only.  I had much to do and didn’t have a large fence repair on my schedule.  When I finished petting my friend, I reached out and tugged at the contorted wire.  It was at that moment that I knew the job in front of me was more than I was expecting.  I had to go get and use another tool.

One of the most useful tools I own is a fence stretcher.  It’s like having an additional hand and arm with the strength of “Captain America.”  I use it to grab a single strand of wire and then use the lever to “jack” the wire back into place.  Once the wire is properly aligned, the stretcher holds it until it’s attached.  It makes the impossible, possible.

Still, I was looking at about five hundred feet of repair work that needed to be done.  Now! I was feeling overwhelmed and it caused me to think about doing a short-term fix while forgetting the rest at the time.   But as soon as I started to do the work the gigantic job shrank down to its real size.

I looked down the line of fence posts and remembered a time when they weren’t there.  There was no wire, green grass or cattle.  It was hard, dry unmanaged ground when I purchased it.  I looked all around me and surveyed what I had accomplished over the years.   It was a work of beauty.

I let the beauty of the place wash over me.  I could see it with my eyes.  I felt it under my feet.  I was restoring it with my hands.  I let visions of all the work I’d done over the years rush through my head as the wind in my hair.  The satisfaction was freeing to my mood.

A couple of days later I was talking with one of my daughters whose mood had been dampened by the sheer weight of her responsibilities – her work, family & home.  Her plight reminded me of my seemingly similar mood resulting from two thousand pounds of life pressing down on my fence.  But this was rather the weight of life on her shoulders.  Funny how that kind of weight and damage even the strongest of people over time!

I began to speak with her of all she had accomplished in every area of her life.  We laughed as we spoke of times we’ve shared together, like burning mountains of tumbleweeds, as we accomplished the impossible.  She has created a life of beauty and accomplishment.  Soon our combined satisfaction swelled our hearts with joy and gratitude.

Satisfaction from your accomplishments will do the same for you if you’ll let it rush into your heart.  Take time to review what you’ve accomplished over your lifetime each day.  It will stretch your joy, attach it to your heart and show you that the impossible is possible.

Being Rich, Time and Opportunity

“Being rich means you live a life full of possibility.”

- Nikki

Being Rich, Time and Opportunity

As soon as we walked into the first house she pulled out a large yellow pad of paper and began to write meticulous notes.  We walked from room to room and her pen would fly across the page, leaving its blue ink in elaborate patterns that would allow her to remember the details of what she wanted to remember.  I can’t remember working with someone who took such care.

It was clear to me that she really cared about the time she was spending in each home.  She wanted to make every moment count.  And, she did.  By the end of our second tour together Nikki stood in the kitchen of the last house and said, “This has everything I’ve been looking for!”

Then she began to elaborate, “It has four bedrooms on one level and a laundry room right where it should be.”

Without knowing it, Nikki had discovered one of life’s greatest secrets, how to make life full of possibilities!  Here is her discovery:

In order to live a life of possibility one must understand the relationship between time and possibility.  If a person is so busy that they can’t think about what’s important to them they’ll have no hope for the future.  Nikki used her gift of time to envision important personal desires and to carefully analyze each detail of her dream.  Without proper use of time, her life would offer no possibility.  Time is what makes possibility possible.

Possibility reveals itself step by step.  It is impossible comprehend everything that is possible at one time.  Nikki instinctively began to take steps toward reaching her vision without know exactly how to move forward.  One step led to another and as she gathered more and more information it allowed her to take the next relevant step.  If you don’t take the first step, no other steps will follow.  Take one step at a time and soon you’ll find yourself walking into new possibility with each stride forward.

When Nikki’s next step required her to make a commitment in the form of writing an offer for a home she hesitated.  This is a common reaction when making a big decision.  Some people let their fear stop them from accepting additional possibility.  She hesitated and then recounted the steps she’d taken.  When she finished reviewing her journey there was no decision to be made.  She took the next step into possibility because she knew it was the right thing to do.  People who live a life full of possibility move forward in faith because they’re used to stepping past their fear into a brighter future.

A bright future isn’t solely conditioned upon money.  Rich is about life with possibility.  Nikki was able to find the right place well within her budget.  She knows that she can have the features she wants in her life if she focuses on what’s important to her.  Possibilities grow as an individual grows.  Being rich doesn’t mean you have a lot of money.  Being rich means you live a life full of possibility.

Living a life full of possibility also means that you understand that possibilities come and go.  Another buyer was also interested in the same house as Nikki.  She knew that if she didn’t write her offer at the right time that the possibility of owning that particular home could end.  A person must be ready to seize opportunities as they present themselves.  She also said, “I’ll do my best to get this home, but if I don’t get this one another opportunity will present itself.”

People who live a rich life know that opportunity is not fixed.  Opportunity is always tied to time in more than one way; using time to discover opportunity and using time to seize opportunity before it fades.  Time never ends, so opportunity never ends for those who understand it.

You can live a rich life by understanding the relationship between time and opportunity.  Follow the steps Nikki, discovered for yourself and see if your life becomes richer and full of more opportunity.  You’ll be glad you did.

FIve Keys to Seeing Around Obstacles

“I won’t!”

Five Keys to Seeing Around Obstacles

Four friends recently contacted me.  They were reaching out to speak with me about employment.  Three were looking to find a new position and one was updating me on his new found work.  Two of the four stood out from the others in striking ways.

The one with the new position has worked with me for an extended period of time.  I’ll never forget the first time I met him.  He showed me he was different from most other people immediately because all I ever heard from him was, “Yes.  I’ll get that done and report back to you!”

As a result of his willingness to work I found myself relying on him more and more.  He always did what he said he’d do and his work was exemplary.  It wasn’t long before I trusted him completely.  So, when he told me he had accepted a position with a group of people I knew well I wasn’t surprised.  I knew he’d be a great asset for his new employer.  He’ll be successful in everything he does because of the way he thinks.

When he’s working he looks to see what needs to be done and he does it.  He is cheerful and positive about his work.  I’ve seen him work under great pressure with long hours without complaint.  He is intent on obtaining greater knowledge so he can become the best he can be.  He has surrounded himself with people he wants to emulate so he can become like them.  He has embodied the “Five Key Principles of Success” quickly and at an early age.

Another friend, of similar age, called to speak with me to get advice about how to find success in his search for work.  Early on in one of our conversations he pulled out a list.  I was a little surprised at first.  I couldn’t remember anyone writing a list in preparation for such a meeting with me.  But, the real surprise wasn’t revealed until he began to go through the list item by item.

It was a list of things he wouldn’t do!  He detailed days and times he wouldn’t work and then went on to outlined industries he would work in.  In short, it was a list of “I won’t!”

He wasn’t through the fourth point on his list when I felt a rumbling begin down in the center of my core.  I was no longer listening to the exact words coming from his mouth.  All I heard was, I won’t and I was interpreting it into a response of, “I can’t help you!”   I felt sick inside because I vividly remembered what my friend Gaynell Instefjord once taught me.

Gaynell said, “Successful people see ways around obstacles.  They don’t focus on the obstacle itself.”

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately and I’ve noticed that the most difficult times I face are the direct result of seeing obstacles instead of opportunity.   When I do that the obstacles get larger and larger with every passing moment.  I begin to be filled with despair.

But, I’ve also noticed that obstacles crumble into dust as soon as I focus on what I can do to get around them.  A small amount of effort produces an astonishing result and momentum with an accompanying peace of mind.

You and I have opportunity to enjoy success and peace of mind. Let’s reach into our pockets and jingle the Five Keys.  See how they feel.  Then pull them out and use them.

Out of Control Worry

“I don't like to worry unless I have to. I'll call you if there's anything worth worrying about. :)” – Rachael Elliott

Out of Control Worry

There can be many stressful moments in life, times of uncertainty.  You know of what I speak.  We all have times of worry.  We worry over our personal lives, loved ones and work.  If you’re like me you sometimes worry about things that are out of your control.

There are lots of moving parts in a real estate transaction and that translates in to lots to worry about.  And many things that are out of my control.  For example, I’m currently involved in a transaction where I have my Client’s home under contract to sell and then have a purchase contract for the same client.  So, we’re trying to work with the close dates of both properties and the moving company to make it so my Client can close on the properties at the same time and have their belongings moved from their previous home into their new home in one move.  It takes a lot of juggling and negotiating to make this type of transaction come together smoothly.

It was all coming together very smoothly until the middle of this week when I got a text message from the Buyer’s Agent asking me if her Buyer could arrange to complete a pre-inspection walk-through of the house they have under contract.

This kind of walk-through the night before an inspection is very unusual so it immediately set off a little alarm in my head.  I began to think that everything we’d worked so hard to accomplish could come crashing down into a heap of dust.  A contract cancellation at this stage of the transaction would have a ripple effect that would have huge impact on four different families.  My worry suddenly began to spiral out of control!

Luckily I decided to send a reply text that simply said, “Is there something I need to be worried about?”

I read the other Agent’s response, “I don't like to worry unless I have to. I'll call you if there's anything worth worrying about. :)”

It hit me right between the eyes!  In trying to protect my Clients I was damaging myself for no reason.  I was making myself miserable!

My response?  “Great advice!”

You may wonder what the outcome was.  Here’s the message I got back from her a little more than six hours later that same day. “We are good! Tell your clients thank you for letting us see it again today. It’s such a nice house.”

The inspection was completed the next morning and there was one small repair the Sellers needed to make.  That was amazing!

It’s also amazing to know that you and I don’t always need to worry.  I will take a lot of practice to infuse this into my heart and mind. 

Oh, great!  One more thing to worry about!

It Matters Where you Live

“The cow jumped over the moon fence!”

It Matters Where you Live

I don’t get phone calls a home past ten p.m.  (That’s a good thing.) So, when it happens it’s generally not good news.  Such was the case on this particular night.  I had just settled down to relax after a long day’s work when this unusual occurrence interrupted my night’s routine.

My wife, Sue, had answered the phone and walked down the hall to hand it to me.  I could tell from the look on her face that it was a conversation I didn’t want to have at this time of night!  Still, I took the receiver and began to speak with my neighbor Joe.

“I think your cow is out.” Joe said.  “When I drove home he was across the street near the front door of the home under construction.  I turned on my high-beams to make sure.”

Knowing it was dark and my cow is black I got up immediately so as to go out and lead him to safety.  It took me just a moment to put on my shoes and coat.  Then I walked out the door with a flashlight.

The wind was blowing and there was sprinkling water falling from a cloud-darkened sky when I opened the door.  As soon as I turned to my left and walked for a brief moment I could see Buck, my daughter’s horse, prancing and speaking with worry.  I followed his lead and looked straight ahead to see one lone cow trotting toward home.

You see, he knows where he lives!  He also knows it matters where he lives.  Home is where he learned life’s most important secret.  Cows can only learn to be the best cow they can be if they live with other cows!

If a cow lives alone there is no one to teach him what he needs to know.  He has to live and interact with older, more experienced cows in order to have important lessons passed along to him; it’s critical to the life of all cows.

An untrained eye watches a herd living in a field and doesn’t understand what’s happening.  In fact, when people watch my cows I often get negative comments about how the larger steers are “bullying” the smaller ones.

“Why do they always pick on the smaller steers?” They say,  “It’s just not right!”

When I receive such questions I take time to explain.  “The only way for a small young steer to become like the larger, strong steers is for the big ones to challenge him; to push him.  They learn can only learn important skills by living with the ‘big boys’.”  I say.

“Watch them in the field for a few months and you’ll begin to see a transformation in the young steers.  At first they are being pushed around at the will of the others.  But, soon they’ll learn what they need to know and they’ll get bigger and stronger.  It happens as if it’s magic!”

The upshot for you and me is that this is a universal principle.  It matters where you live!  If you’re a basketball player you need to be playing with older, bigger, more experienced players in order to become the best you can be.  If you’re an entrepreneur, you need to associate with people who have started, run, sold and advised successful companies.  If you’ll do so you’ll find yourself going through the same process as my steers.

When you’re beginning, you’ll feel inadequate and in many ways bullied by the more experienced people.  But, when you stick with it and learn your lessons through their tuition, it’s as if you wake up one day to see that you’ve become just like your mentors!

When my steer saw me on a blustery night, not long ago, he knew he could count on me to help him get back home.  I didn’t need to herd him or chase him.  I opened the gate; he walked through and was greeted by his peers.  He knows he can only reach a full measure of his creation by living in the right place!

It matters where you live.

The Ten Moosages of Leadership

“Leadership lessons learned from my cows.”

The Ten Moosages of Leadership

The wind was blowing like the bellows of a Paul Bunion hearth as I stood in the corral watching my steers in an agitated state.  One never knows how large their steers really are until standing toe-to-toe and eye-to-eye with them.  Which in this case, reminded me of what a thrashing one thousand pounds can do to put fear in a person’s heart.  I thought I had my largest steer tucked away in a stall surrounded by steel pipe.  I thought he was secure.  But, it was not the case.

He put his head down, gave a snort and charged the latched gate.  I heard a loud bang, watched the steel bars flex like the arms of a body builder, and gawked as the gate flew open!  I’ve never seen anything like it!  It made me feel weak and small.

I was powerless.   It was obvious to me that the tank-like beef was going to do what he wanted and I couldn’t force him to change his mind in any way.  I also didn’t want to be crushed like a twig under his massive legs so I quickly got out of his way!  He was teaching me another important lesson about leadership.

I’ve read lots of books about leadership.  I’ve watched lots of talks about leadership.  But, this steer and my other cows have taught me everything important and true about leadership!  You might say I learned leadership in the field.

Cows are skittish and they aren’t naturally trusting creatures.  They like to hang with their own kind, but they’ll develop relationships with others if they want to.  I’ve seen them become close friends with horses when other cows aren’t available.  They don’t like to be alone.  But, it takes time for them to develop trust with non-bovine.

Over the years I’ve noticed that I can’t force a cow to be my friend and trust me.  I need to develop a routine around them and demonstrate trust-generating behavior over and over again.  That’s how you get them to reveal their inner curiosity.

A cow’s curiosity creates small openings for a human to begin to gain a deeper trust over time.  But progress has to occur in small increments or the relationship will be reversed quickly.  Strong trust is critical if you want to get this large, unpredictable being to go where you want him to go.

Since my cows live in a large pasture I can’t herd them to a specific spot.  They’ll just run around and go crazy.  They could also hurt me if they feel threatened.  But, I can get them to follow me almost anywhere I want them to go after I’ve spent sufficient time earning their trust by applying proper leadership principles.  Believe me, it’s a lot easier and more successful than trying force.  I know.  I’ve tried it both ways.

My Dad used to say, “Cows only understand one language; 2 X 4!”

That was his way.  I was with my father when he tried to force a full-grown bull to do something.  The bull took issue with his approach and bent the frame of a three quarter ton pick-up truck just to prove his independence.  The bull was undamaged!

My cows have shown me that if I give them what they need and do it in a gentle way the results are amazing.  Doing so allows them to grow while becoming happy-go-lucky, friendly and pliable.  They even watch out for me in difficult situations.

My dog thinks it’s funny to run into the field and nip at cow heals.  She enjoys it.  I don’t.  It scares me to think of being run over by a bucking half ton.  But, I’ve noticed that my cows recognize my dissatisfaction at the renegade canine’s behavior.  They put their heads down and charge at the dog to keep her away from cow and me alike!  When that happens the dog doesn’t think it to be funny any more.  Cows step up to protect those they have a trusting relationship with.  They recognize true leadership.

To become a true leader one must follow the way of the cow.  Here are a cow’s Ten Moosages of Leadership:

1-    Have a healthy respect for the power and attributes of those you want to lead.

2-    Never underestimate the strength of those around you.

3-    Spend time with those you would lead.

4-    Be steady in your behavior so people will know what to expect from you.

5-    Take time to understand the personality of those you would lead so you can discover openings that will enable you to deepen your relationship.

6-    Recognize that progress is measured in small increments.

7-    Do good things for your followers, out in front of them, so they’ll want to come along with you.

8-    Force is not leadership.  It damages everyone involved.

9-    Demonstrate your caring and your care will be reciprocated.

10-A gentle demeanor will allow everyone you associate with to band with you when facing severe opposition.  

Today’s world is filled with many kinds of storms.  People are looking for true leaders so their lives can be filled with confidence, peace, joy and success.  You and I can make a marked difference in the lives of others by cultivating and living by the Ten Moosages of Leadership.  Become a true leader.

When Cupboards are Bare

"A small bag of food on the porch."

When Cupboards are Bare

Some days have more impact than others.  This was one of those days for me; it started with a meeting.  It was with one of my long time clients.  Her business has been struggling over the course of the past eight years so she is in the process of liquidating some of their real estate holdings.  She was closing on the first piece of property to sell on this very day.

I greeted my friend and asked how she was doing. She smiled and told me that her health issues were getting worse.  Just one day had passed since her doctor had given her more bad news.  I felt sad when she gave me the details and I promised to stop by her home later in the day to make things easier for her.

By the time I got to her home it was evening and I was tired.  But that soon changed when I rang the bell and was greeted by a wet, black nose as the door opened just a crack.  I knew that nose.  It belonged to her Labrador.  In a flash he was out of the door greeting me with a wiggling body and a wagging tail.  It was the greeting I expected, but there was the unexpected coming my way.

We sat down so I could review the final documents before we would talk about life in general.  That’s when I found out that my friend was in the process of a deeper change than I knew.  Her mental and physical turmoil was leading her on a spiritual path of renewal and while challenges remained her constant companion she had also found other, comforting companions.

She told me how her pain had allowed her to seek and develop a spiritual life that she had never embraced in the past.  And, how this had provided her with a new community of helpful, caring people that were giving her vital support during her time of need.  She described how she had worked and learned over the past year so she could be officially joined to her newfound community.  Her eyes radiated hope, peace and promise.

When I stepped out of her front door I could feel her hope in my heart and I immediately saw it as well.  I hadn’t noticed it upon my arrival, but there it was; a filled Scouting for Food bag awaiting its pick up Scouts.

My friend who has struggled financially, physically and mentally for so long was no longer struggling in spirit.  She was giving to others when her own cupboards were closing in on being bare.  That’s when I knew she was well!  She has found the best of herself during her worst times.