Gary Woltal's Blog

I cannot tell you how many first year Realtors or first year anybodys in many professions keep trying to be like someone else. It is such a HUGE mistake!! Our individuality is the key to our being the best we can be.

     Your Strength is Found in YOU.

Can we have mentors? Why not. But don't use them as a crutch. Don't copy someone else entirely. I've always found the best mentor for you is: YOU. They broke the mold when you came along. It is indeed true for all of us. CELEBRATE that you are different from everyone else. Remind yourself this is a good thing. Tell others that, well, "this is the way you are. This is how you were built." Remember that our collective diversity makes us all better.

I give you a little of my strengths. You let me have the blessing of a little of your strengths. TOGETHER we make it through our jobs, our situations, our lives.

Honor the "uniqueness" that is you. Don't say you are sorry that maybe you are not as good at details as say Mary over there is. Maybe you can run circles around Mary as far as keeping her spirits up all day. Maybe Mary can put you to shame in organizing files. We need to learn to be ourselves.

You know why? Our BEST self is ourself. Copying someone else's personality maybe you think is the highest form of flattery. The Broker is loud. You are loud. But you do the world a great disservice with that style of living. Instead be of great service by each and every day getting up and being YOU.

Be Yourself. That's who the world NEEDS more than anyone else. Trust me, that guy in the mirror tells me that EVERY DAY : )

In today's topsy turvy and up and down real estate market be on the look out for a special kind of REALTOR. These are the ones that the future looks so bright they've got to wear shades.

    REAL REALTORS WEAR SHADES.

They carry within themselves a positive attitude. They are of good spirit.

This is not to say they do not have to deal with the realities of a market that has changed over the last several years. They realize they are in a cyclical business. They adapt.

But above all they are confident in the future.

This adaptation to their business model may include focusing on short sales more now, or picking up parallel income streams.

But they won't be defeated. They love their work. They have passion for it. You can see it in their eyes (if they took their sunglasses off). They constantly are being educated. They use that education to teach others and their clients.

They inspire those around them.

I was inspired while watching the Summer Olympic games of a spirit I think you will find in all these Realtors wearing shades. And that was with 32 yr. old anchor swimmer Jason Lezak who brought the Gold home in an amazing come from behind win on the final lap he swam.

He had heart and a never say quit attitude. He said, "I just go tired of losing" and outswam in a supercharged style his favored competition from France. It was an amazing feat.

So if you are looking for a REALTOR find one that wears shades.

And if you are a REALTOR have an attitude and an outlook that you can have anything and make anything happen. It is all possible.

Just put your mind and focus towards achievement. It will happen if you believe it will.

In real estate, you hear a lot about people moving from one house to another in their journey.

Often terms are bantered about like upsizing or downsizing their space in this stage of life or current financial situation.

But in this situation like many others in life it is really about something

NOT BEING A FIT ANYMORE.

Think of this as like shoes as you grow. The old ones don't fit. If full grown, also think of it like shoes. You don't like the old styles anymore. You want to MOVE ON to something new and fresh.

Face reality. In many things in life you OUTGROW them. Situations, jobs, friends, relationships, interests, work. It is all very normal.

Embrace all the "new shoes" you choose for yourself in your life. You will know something that you have outgrown because you will be sick of being in that place, with that person, or doing that task. Your mind will wander to that new experience. A new opportunity. Don't wallow in the old shoes force fitting your toes into something that doesn't fit anymore or wear ugly shoes.

You are too special for such things. New doors open. Walk through them with courage and confidence. And you know why you should do this?

You deserve it. You've got class, elegance, and style. Proudly show the world that you can grow  and be a better fit.

But take that chance. Did you know that fish cannot outgrow their aquarium? Don't be like them. Find yourself an ocean and grow to be the best you can be.

For all my loyal readers do not think from the Subject title on this one that I have shifted my format to a more R-rated version of the blog. No, I have just ventured off to my silly side of the brain from the usual inspirational side so bear with me a bit. 

The evolution of this topic came actually at lunch with a real estate client, a woman by the way, between showings and finding a house for her and the family. At lunches usually you talk about the family, where they used to live but somehow this day the talk centered around the highest paying doctors. We "guessed" at how much various physicians were paid and the discussion finally ended with us both concluding that "plastic surgeons" surely were among the top earners. They did the tummy tucks, the liposuctions, and of course the prize winning surgery for all the males out there, the "boob job."

Me being my normal inquisitive and naive self went on to say that I'm not sure I could tell with this boob job surgery category if I knew for sure what was surgically altered or what was God-given natural. This must be a woman thing like that Gaydar thing I hear people have about knowing someone is gay, because it was so easily obvious to her, she just said you just know because

                                                        FAKE BOOBS ARE NOT REAL.

Now I wasn't about to ask if I could line ten women up against the wall and do the Mr. Whipple squeeze the Charmin squeeze test so I just took her word for it, that this is something WOMEN JUST KNOW. It did make me harken to the world of nature and how imposters are around us all the time. See if you can detect them among their supposedly normal colleagues. Maybe your talent if you are a woman includes fake boob detection and also detecting those that just don't quite seem to be the right fit.

And please people have some fun today, Life is Waaaay to short to be serious all the time. BTW, my favorite is the swan mingling with the flamingos. That bird is really using his creativity.  : )

I love art in all its many forms and I got to thinking about Cirque du Soleil and high wire trapeze artists. So much of what is going on in real estate these days is about change. The artists that perform in these shows or in circus acts have had to grasp change completely.

Think of the trapeze performer swinging out to reach the upcoming bar. She can let go and feel the fear as she goes to the next trapeze or stay with legs dangling on the current swinging bar. There is no net below.

This is like life with a new job, a new relationship, anything new.

What is it we feel? Butterflies for sure.

We feel real fear in times of growth. What if the new person I would love to meet doesn't like me? What if this new task I am trying to perform overwhelms me and I fail? Sometimes you HAVE to let go of one thing to grasp another. Priorities of your time and money may need to change. Change admittedly is scarey for us. And before you catch that next bar you may be suspended in air. VERY scarey without a net. You feel vulnerable. We must risk in our lives to move forward and grow. Sometimes we outgrow old situations and it is time to move forward ANYWAY. Be brave. Let go of what is not working and grab the new bar that is swinging towards you. You have to decide on that swinging bar whether to grab it or not. A quote of comfort I have found when taking on the unknowns of a new relationship, new work, or anything else new in your life:

"Jump and the net will appear." I have found this to be true so very often. Fear not. The opportunities and people in front of you were meant to be there. Seize the moment. It's your destiny.

If you ever ride around with kids in showing houses that are in your backseat, before they buckle up, they are always peeking around to the front seat. Little eyes and all eyes are watching constantly.

    BEWARE OF WATCHING EYES.

What we do matters in life. Character is developed from our actions. Our truest character is what we do when NO ONE is watching.

They used to have an anti-smoking ad where the little boy sitting up against the tree with his father grabbed his pack of cigarettes. Eyes were watching.

There was a research assignment on the honor system in Northern England with two situations by the coffee pot where you were supposed to donate for the coffee. One had a picture of flowers above the pot, the other trial had a picture of "eyes" above the pot. They installed hidden cameras to watch how many people didn't pay. In the weeks with the eyes displayed, people paid more often than the weeks with the flowers.

In nature did you know how intelligent ravens are? They store food to eat it later. But in their life they also have a problem: thieves. Ravens steal from each other. So the ravens watch each other and if they notice they are being watched, they'll fly away with the food and hide it elsewhere.

Be aware of watching eyes. Develop good character in all you do. Have kind, generous, and honest eyes. Create comfort and safety with others, so that when they follow your actions they can trust that you will do what you say.

Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.   ~ Abraham Lincoln

I've got to admit life is constantly surprising me. Particularly people along the way. Both on the good side and perhaps to a lesser extent on the unpleasant side with things they will do sometimes. But today I wanted to talk about the

                     LITTLE FRIENDLY GREMLINS BUZZING AROUND YOU.

Now gremlins are normally a term associated with troublemakers. But with the friendly gremlins they have a somewhat mischievous side, I would call it their "good natured spirit", and deep down to the core they are very good people. You might imagine them to be a cross between deviousness and goodness. You might envision them to look like this:

I have seen them pop up most recently in

* A lady buyer baking me a cake after a home sale where she poked fun at me showing her every closet along the way.

* A friend offering to pick up and drop me off at the car repair place after my vehicle broke down.

* A new friend offering to send me a surprise in the mail after learning more about me.

* Assistance in helping me think through a problem. 

Whenever these little friendly gremlins come buzzing by in your life take note of them.

They are not there by coincidence. Something is working behind the scenes, I am sure of it.

It may be an adult, it may be a child, it may even be a pet. But YOU, for who knows what reason are being put up on a pedestal.

FOR SOME REASON, someone real out there is concerned and caring about you. Do not miss this moment. It is like a support system sent from above.

I can't explain the reason for these things happening. Just understand that perhaps for once in your life, you have lucked out.

My only recommendation when this happens to you just go to that person and say with all sincerity,

         "I APPRECIATE YOU."

These friendly gremlins I speak of probably have a more apppropiate name:

                       ANGELS.

                    YOU NEEDED ME

In understanding the difference between working with people to buy and sell houses compared to "homes" the difference is definitely the love that is present in a home. A building does not make a home. Loving people make a home.

Sometimes adult children live miles away clear across the country yet their parents on the phone ask them when they will come for a visit "home." It is a subtle transition in the voice indicating that in reality, "Home is where the heart is."

All the magic and mystery of love is on complete display between couples. It is said there are three forms of love:

Eros - the strong attraction or hubba bubba phase.

Philos - this is love in the form of friendship and is what is the glue when the Eros dies down.

Agape - the most mature love. This is the sacrificial love, where you care for the other at the highest level and is the most unconditional. We all should be fortunate in our life to experience Agape love.

Love in all its forms is truly a gift. It flows and never remains exactly the same. It is the most wonderfully pure and amazing thing in the world. It is so strong it takes hold of you and you do everything you can to hang on to it. True love is hard work and as you go through hardship it just strengthens your love for that other person.

Love weaves its way through our life. Those that have the foundation of friendship are those relationships that are most likely to survive.

Someone who shares your same values and interests is important. Someone whom you respect and who you look up to for who they are and who they are trying to become makes the love last.

Love in all forms is beautiful.

It is nothing short of magical.

               LADY IN RED

With this year's summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China we all anticipate the competition and the drama of the events. While we can not imagine ourselves as the athletes in something as extraordinary of a venue as the Olympics the very motto of the games themselves is worthy of noticing.

It offers words of encouragement for both our business and our personal lives.

        Citius, Altius, Fortius.

They are Latin words that mean

       Faster, Higher, Stronger.

What a noble set of words for all our lives, even us mere mortal non-Olympians.

We always should be growing. We can always do better. We should strive to be the best MEs the world has ever seen.

Never underestimate how valuable you are to the world and that your contribution to others matters. You are indeed a gold medal winner when you always strive to be faster, higher, and stronger.

It is very evident as you work with others in the real estate market like homeowners, Realtors, applicants for loans, Buyers, Stagers and such that in a down housing cycle there is much struggling go on. As in other struggles in life this too shall pass. But we need to see through

       THE FIRE AND RAIN.

Lots of things in life pop up as problems for us like health, financial, relationship problems and just day to day living that has its share of annoyances.

Rather seeing what you don't have during these fire and rain days look at what you do have. In many instances I have seen the wider "community" of good friends and family come through for us. Know very solidly what you DO have to make your way through the harder times. It's a lot greater than you might first think. Count on those you can depend on to come through for you.

                                FIRE AND RAIN