Real Estate Information Archive

LIGHTEN UP!

Ever feel yourself getting perturbed by something that happens during your day? Ever have the urge to say something about it, when silence might be the best approach? Perhaps you feel the need to make a judgment about each situation that arises

Maybe it's time to slow down a bit. As the song says, "Don't worry - be happy!" The truth is - none of us have the right to judge others, nor their actions. We can control only one thing - our own actions. If there is something to be judged, it would be our reaction to things that happen, not the events themselves.

In Stephen Covey's "Seven Habits," Habit #5 says, "Seek first to understand, then to be understood." In explaining, Covey states that "People do not see the world as it is; they see it as they are - or as they have been conditioned to be." He goes on to make the simple statement that "When you understand, you don't judge."

Once you take the time to understand each situation, there is no longer a need to judge. Interestingly, when others realize that you no longer make those judgments, you will find that they no longer judge you either.

Want to free yourself from being disturbed about the events of the day? Just follow the advice of Epictetus, who said, "When considering the future, remember that all situations unfold as they do regardless of how we feel about them. Our hopes and fears sway us, not events themselves."

SPREAD THE TABLE!

Here we are in the midst of the holiday rush - buying gifts, attending parties, decorating, sending cards, and preparing for the feast of the season. We're doing all this for whom?

We tell ourselves it's for the ones we love. We want to make them happy, fill them with joy, and make their world bright. We want to make everything perfect for them at this special time of year.

In a way, that's like preparing the holiday feast for those who matter most to us, then eating it for them and commenting on how tasty it was. Truth is - we can't "make them" do anything, we can only spread the table before them.

Whether they choose to consume the feast, or be happy doing it, is their choice - not ours. We can give the presents, offer our own good holiday spirit, or bake the cookies, but we cannot "make" anything happen.

Epictetus once said, "Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle: Some things are within our control, and some things are not. If you think that you have free rein over things that are naturally beyond your control, or if you attempt to adopt the affairs of others as your own, your pursuits will be thwarted and you will become a frustrated, anxious, and fault-finding person."

Why not take a little of the pressure off yourself this holiday season? Feel free to give whatever gifts, energy, creativity, or love you have to offer, but let go of the desire to control the outcome. The gifts that will make the most difference are those that arise from the heart with no expectation of reward.

My wish for you is the joy and freedom that results from giving. Happy Holidays and Best Wishes to you and yours!

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence."
~ Aristotle

 WHY ARE YOU WORKING?

When is the last time you sat down and analyzed your goals and dreams? At least once a year, you should review your financial situation to try to determine how much closer you are to achieving your goals from the same time last year. Every step you take should bring you nearer to your goals.

Of course, you need to evaluate your dreams every year as well. Sometimes you imagine something that you want when it is simply in the "heat of the moment," before you have thought it through to its logical conclusion. When you look back a few months later, you might say to yourself, "What was I thinking?" Sometimes it is only someone else's ideas that affect or determine our own desires.

Your dreams do not have to be of "castles in the clouds," but you should also avoid setting your goals too low! While respectable, if all you are working for is to make sure you do not miss a mortgage payment and you can cover your credit card bill, you definitely need to take the time to determine what would make you happy beyond just making sure the bills are paid.

You should not have to feel that you are working simply because you have to. If your work itself doesn't make you happy, at least try to see that your work can help you to achieve those goals that you dream of. When you feel you are wholeheartedly pursuing your happiness, then you can put yourself wholeheartedly into your work.

When you make your happiness and the happiness of others your purpose, you will find the journey to that destination all the more enjoyable. Seeking joy and peace is not selfish - it is as Aristotle said, "the whole aim and end of human existence." Take a good look at where you are now and where you want to be one year from now, ten years from now, twenty years from now. Apply your heart, body and mind to shaping your future - take whatever you have today and run with it!