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I’m an eternal optimist. Sometimes it’s also a curse because I’m always trying to find a path to victory. The drive to win and a competitive nature can produce grand victories but it can also cause a person to stay committed to a cause far past what is reasonable. I’ve been in the field of Real Estate since 1985 and I learned a ton from my first Boss in the business. He was an old, salty, rough edged Sailor who took the edge off of each day with a healthy dose of strong liquor starting at 5:01. Some of his friends would filter through the office, many of them having lots of cash and properties. I once made the statement that one day, I’d catch up to those guys and have plenty. He said, as much as I respect your drive, you’ll never be able to catch them. The truth is, those guys started out way ahead of me with family money and support. The lesson was that I shouldn’t be envious of others but be content with what I have and with what I can achieve. My Boss also owned a commercial strip building with three tenants. I expressed that I desired to purchase it some day. He again imparted some wisdom to me. He said although he had no issues selling to me, he feared that in order for me to be successful with it, everything would have to go perfect with the building. In other words, the only way that I could make the payments and afford the payment, insurance and maintenance, would be if the building was rented 100% of the time. Although reality and truth can hurt, a truly wise person will listen to the voice of reason.

Obtaining education can prepare you for a great job. Training in your chosen sport can greatly enhance your chances of achieving your dreams. I’m probably too competitive because I often carry the pain of losing deep in my soul for far too long. Unless you’ve sat alone and been moved to tears by a song, you’re probably not a musical person and unless you know that losing hurts deeply, you’re probably not a true competitor. Having faith and trust in your abilities allows you to trounce an opponent soundly or to have a chance to win even when you don’t have your A game. Sometimes the path to victory is an easy one and it’s really easy to walk the walk and look the part when the wins are huge. This is what sometimes annoys me when a well dressed Coach is yelling with a blow out lead or a softball team wants to stay around and argue with the umpires after destroying an inferior team. Your body is capable of much more than you can imagine and your mind can propel you to never before known extremes. As long as there is a conceivable path to victory, you simply have to fight like hell. Having a statistical chance makes me never give up on my teams. When it comes to financial matters, sometimes you have to take a loss in order to succeed later but in sports, leaving yourself physically bankrupt on the battlefield can be your only path.

Always look for a path to reach your goals and dreams. Surround yourself with those who use the word can instead of can’t and in times where there doesn’t seem to be a clear path, don’t be surprised if you’re the one building a path for others to follow.

 

Moby