Living Well with Kevin Bungert

Thank You Randy Pausch

2008-07-27T21:20:20Z

I just found out tonight that Randy Pausch passed away on Friday. I, like everyone else, am truly saddened. Randy gave all of us a unbelievably special gift. His last lecture and subsequent book, showed us that life is meant to be lived. Life is meant to be lived a certain way, with goals and dreams. We all are only given a certain amount of time on this big rock, and Randy truly understood this.

In sharing his very difficult circumstances, Randy gave us all the intimate thoughts that must come to us all when we will be faced with our mortality. Thank you Randy for sharing with us. It was truly selfless. I will never forget you, and all the lessons that you reminded me to keep in my life.

This Friday, I took my daughter to The Jonas Brothers concert at Hershey Park in Pennsylvania. While my daughter and her friend Amanda enjoyed the concert, my wife and I took my son and his friend Peter into the park. As is our custom, we made some time to play the ring toss game. We were lucky enough to win a giant stuffed Hershey Park bear. As I carried our giant bear throughout that park that night, I thought to myself about Randy a hundred times. I did not know he had passed away.

As Randy was many times, I was the coolest guy in the park because of my big bear. Thank you Randy for all you have given this world and all that you have given to me personally. I will always try to do my best to continue to live my life, and enjoy whatever time I have left with my family and friends. It is the best way I can honor your memory and I intend to do just that.

My prayers are with Jai and your children, and Thank you Randy, may you rest in peace!

Respectfully,

Kevin Bungert

The Last Lecture- Randy Pausch

2008-07-14T11:06:27Z

I'm sure you have seen the video of Randy Pausch's last lecture at Carnegie Mellon University. If you haven't, IT IS A MUST SEE! You can view his lecture at www.thelastlecture.com.

Randy was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer at the age of 46. But his last lecture was not about cancer or the possibility of his passing, his lecture focused on his childhood dreams that he has accomplished and the lessons he has learned along the way, and also rules that he tried to live by and instill in his students.

It is one of the most interesting stories I have ever come across. And Randy's story became a huge media event last year, both on the Internet and TV.

Randy has now followed up his last lecture with a companion book. I just finished reading it and I whole heartedly recommend it! In the first part of the book, he goes over his life, getting his diagnosis and then the weeks leading up to his last lecture. Randy then tells us about his last lecture once again.

In the second half of his book he shares stories from his life both as a teacher and a father. Each story comes with a lesson, every one is a gem!

I won't go into great detail about all that I got from Randy's lecture and book, but I will tell you that I am firm believer in exactly what Randy talks about when it comes to REALLY LIVING OUR LIVES! The one thing I always try to impress on my children and any one else who will listen to me, is that we have one chance at this life, we don't get a do-over, there is no re-set button. And in that understanding, we must then choose to LIVE OUR LIVES!

Because of Randy's tremendous courage, we are able to receive this message one more time from a very important teacher. Randy's ordeal is horrific, but he has chosen once again to continue teaching and passing on his wisdom. The video of Randy's last lecture is A MUST SEE and his companion book is A MUST READ! Run out and buy Randy's book today, YOU WILL NEVER find another book with as many life lessons as this one! All the best until next time!

Kevin Bungert

Long Island Homes Show A Summer Rebound

2008-07-11T18:17:36Z

Here on Long Island, the median sales price for closings in May 2008 was the lowest in four years. However this June, sales figures for Long Island and Queens rose 4.2% to a median sales price of $415,000.

As I read this report in Newsday, I thought two things pretty quickly. First, I asked myself how much of this increase was just the natural bump up from the spring market with homeowners wanting to be in their houses by summer?

Next, I thought, it is REALLY good to see some ACCURATE GOOD NEWS in the media. There is so much bad news lately, it gets overwhelming. I will be very interested to see what the next few months show here on Long Island, will we continue to come back from the brink, or is this bump up a one month move? Only time will tell!

What is happening in your marketplace right this moment? What do your June 2008 figures show? Do you think you have seen the bottom yet? I would be very interested in your marketplace figures! Please share when you can! All the best until next time!

Kevin Bungert

Define Your Purpose- Real Estate Edition

2008-07-04T19:58:36Z

Over the last couple of months I've written a series of posts about 12 ideas that I use in my coaching business to help clients improve any problem area in their lives. You can download a copy of my e-book of these 12 steps by visiting my website at www.kevinbungert.com.

Today I would like to start a series about these 12 steps and how they directly relate to improving your real estate business.

Step #1 is to DEFINE YOUR PURPOSE. With regards to improving your real estate career, defining your purpose comes down to one simple question, Am I committed to my career in real estate?

In my 10 years of owning and managing 2 real estate offices, I have seen all levels of commitment to an agents business.

Some agents took their businesses very seriously and worked extremely hard and were very successful. Others were sort of serious, but many things kept them from really achieving their goals, and then there were the agents who just needed to tell their spouse that they were going to work.

Every agents commitment to their real estate career is their own business, I'm not here to judge anyone. But what I would like to suggest is that if you NEED TO MAKE MORE MONEY IN REAL ESTATE, then start with looking at your commitment to your business. Which of the above three scenarios is yours?

If you have decided to stay in this tough business during these tough times and want a better business, than your commitment needs to be turned up a notch. If you have decided to continue to make real estate your primary career, than you must do the hard work. And it is hard!

I work with many agents and at some point in our coaching, I always have to say, "You have decided to be in this business, so this is what you need to do to make it better." Having a good business and a better quality of life begins with the level of actual commitment to that business. After that, it's all about doing the work.

But before anything else, if you want to improve your real estate career, question your commitment to it! Not because I say so or your manager wants you too, and not even because your spouse wants you too, question your level of commitment to your business for YOUR OWN sake. Ask yourself what YOU really want to accomplish in real estate? Ask yourself what YOU want your business to provide for yourself and your family? Ask yourself are YOU willing to do the hard work to make all this happen?

And when YOU answer yes, then you're well on your way to improving your business and making more money for yourself and your family! And that begins with being honest with ourselves about our efforts in the past. But that's step #2, and I'll share more about that with you next time! All the best until then!

Kevin Bungert

Jason Todd- You Need This Guy On Your Side!

2008-07-01T20:06:17Z

A couple of months ago, Katie Graham gave me a lead to a young man who designs blogs and websites for Realtors and other service professionals. I'm so glad she did!

After talking with Jason and sharing with him my ideas, we decided to start working together. It is one of the best decisions that I have made for my business.

If you are like me, you may have many talents, but being tech savvy is not one of them. I can get done what I need to and I can learn pretty much anything, but it is great to be working with someone who is completely versed in the latest technologies and completely in touch with that industry.

Jason has given my blog a great new look and we are launching my new website for my coaching business later on this evening. Based on an idea of Jason's we are also launching a "Living Well" channel on YouTube.

In additon, we are trying something completely new and building an entire social networking site for my business and "Living Well" concepts. I told Jason that in a year from today, EVERY top producer will have his or her own networking site for their business and ideas. It is the next evolutionary step of the world wide web!

If you want to generate more leads for your business, talk with Jason. Let him give you some ideas for a new and sharper look for your blog and website. Talk with him about the advantages of a networking site for all your real estate business and be THE leader in your marketplace!

You can contact Jason by checking out his website at www.realagentblogs.typepad.com. If you want someone who shares great ideas for your business and has the talent to make you look good, Jason is your guy! All the best until next time!

Kevin Bungert

P.S. If you would like to see Jason's work that he has done for me, please check out my new website later on tonight at www.KevinBungert.com.

These Difficult Times Absolutely Require Hope and Perserverance

2008-06-29T20:57:14Z

I was on line with my son last Sunday at Splish Splash, waiting our turn like all the other patrons and I started talking with another Dad waiting behind me. The usual small talk and of course we came around to the economy. He stated he was in the restaurant business here on Long Island and business was not good. He said the difference between today and 2 years ago was dramatic. His business was suffering.

A couple of days ago, I went into my local Deli to order a platter of wraps for my daughters graduation party from middle school. I've been going to this Deli for 17 years and I know George, the owner, pretty well. Once again we started talking and the conversation turned to our businesses and the economy. George said he recently canceled some work at his house because he just didn't have the extra money. Things are definitely slower at his Deli.

This morning after having a wonderful graduation party for my daughter Lindsay and her friends, one of the Dads came to pick up his daughter from the sleep over and we started our normal small talk. Gerard apologized for being a little late because he had to go into his business and do a little work. He and his wife own a gift basket business and they do about 3 million in sales a year, but he is worried. He said he sees the business slowing down dramatically, actually he said his business was down 30%. He was worried because if this trend continues they could be off 1 million dollars this year. They have laid off workers and had to cut their own salaries. He really seemed concerned.

Every where I go, the conversations are all the same. Times are really getting scary. But, I'm not telling you anything you don't already know. I'm sure you are having the exact same conversations in your daily life. Maybe your business is also off from the previous few years. You also know it's getting scary out there.

After all these encounters I always think the same thing. We all need to hang on and keep our heads in the game. We all need to keep working hard and go back to the basics. We all need to know that, just like things don't always continue to go up, they also don't always continue to go down. The scary times will end. They always do. Yes, it will be very difficult during the downturn, but it will eventually come to an end. And it is up to each of us to stay positive, keep working hard, go back to the basics of our lead generation systems and stay in the game.

As I was thinking about these recent conversations I've been having, and realizing that people need hope now more than ever, I saw a report on 60 Minutes tonight that brought my spirits up. It was a repeat and I had seen it before, but tonight I caught something I didn't really catch last time.

Steve Kroft was doing a report on Will Smith. Will right now is the HIGHEST paid movie star on the planet. He has the golden touch at the moment. He has tons of money, a beautiful and talented wife, gorgeous and talented children, a career he loves, beautiful homes and all the other "stuff."

But he has seen his hard times also. He had a hit record while still in High School and made over 5 million dollars in 2 years. But he didn't pay all his taxes on that income, he spent it instead. Before he was 20 years old the IRS came and took ALL his stuff. He owed them 2.8 million dollars. When they came for their money, he said he had $2.83!

He persevered though, he moved to Hollywood and landed the Fresh Prince of Bel-Aire gig. For the first 3 years of that show, the IRS took 75% of his paycheck. It took 3 years to pay them off, but he did. It didn't happen overnight, but it did happen! When life got very difficult for Will Smith, he went back to work, worked hard, stayed positive and survived the onslaught! And look at him today!

And he's not the only story like that, did you know that Oprah was demoted to the lowest rung of the ladder in the local news business? She was demoted to local field reporter of her first TV station. Do you think she gave up?

12 years ago, Rachel Ray was working 80 hours a week in a restaurant in NYC for someone else. When she couldn't get anyone to take her 30 minute meals idea seriously, she made the videos herself. How did that work out for her?

The point is, everyone faces tough times, even the biggest of the big. We are all facing tough times right now. All of our situations are unique, but yet they are similar too! There is only one way to survive the tough times. Go back to the basics of your business, work hard, never give up, stay positive and KNOW that every cycle eventually turns the other way.

And on those really tough days when you need hope to keep you going, think of Will Smith owing the IRS 2.8 million dollars and coming out of it. Think of Oprah trudging around Chicago doing silly local news stories but ending up where she has. Or think of Rachel Ray persevering 80 hour work weeks in a NYC restaurant, but still dreaming her big dreams.

Or find a story of your own. Every success story has a beginning. And every story has tough times. It's part of the process. We must ALL go through it. We are going through it right now. But that doesn't mean these times will last forever, because they won't. It is up to us to stay focused, work hard and keep believing in our dreams, just like Will, Oprah and Rachel!

All the best until next time,

Kevin Bungert

12 Steps To Living Well-Step #1 Define Your Purpose

2008-06-25T19:33:51Z

Over the years I have developed 12 steps that I use in my coaching business to help people improve the problem areas of their lives. I would like to share these 12 ideas with you today and I will write a post about each individual step over the next couple of weeks.

1. Define your purpose.

2. Be honest with yourself.

3. Define your short term goals.

4. Believe in yourself and stay positive.

5. Learn new information

6. Make different choices.

7. Take action.

8. Re-program your negative self talk.

9. Make new associations.

10. Refine-continually try to improve.

11. Help others.

12. Don't be afraid.

Step #1, DEFINE YOUR PURPOSE, when I mention this step in my seminars, people always look at me a little weird. Define your purpose? Who talks like that? What the hell does that mean? I just came in for the free coffee and donuts! And you want me to define my purpose in life?

Yes I do! I ACTUALLY want you to think about your purpose in this life. What are you trying to accomplish? What do you want to be remembered for? By whom do you want to be remembered by? What would you like to achieve? Who would you like to help?

Now I know this is pretty serious stuff for a warm Wednesday evening, but if you never actually think about these things, you'll probably never get where you REALLY want to go. Setting your sights on what you really would like to achieve is the first step in getting it done.

Have you ever reached a significant goal in your life without first deciding that you wanted to accomplish it? I never have and I've never seen anyone else do it either. All the significant and life changing goals I have reached in my life, I first decided that I wanted them to happen. What about you? Think back, have you ever stumbled upon something really worthwhile? I doubt it!

All significant life changes and goals, begin at the same place, with a decision by you to make something happen in your life. Whether it be in real estate, or your health or in your relationships, you MUST first decide what it is you would like to accomplish and you must be able to communicate it to yourself and anyone else you would like to share it with.

DEFINE YOUR PURPOSE, what is it that you REALLY want to accomplish in life, in your business, with regards to your health, with regards to your family and friends? Can you define the things in your life that you want to accomplish? If not, take this opportunity today and try this challenge. Go somewhere quiet, bring a pen and your journal and start to write down EXACTLY what you would love to see happen in your life, in every area of your life.

Don't be afraid! It's okay to think like this, we're allowed to want more in our lives, even if our lives are ALREADY great, there is ALWAYS another level of achievement for us, just look at Oprah, she is always reaching and striving for more and because she can DEFINE what she wants, she can make it happen.

I hope you take the time and do this exercise, it is the first step in ANY significant life change. Start to practice taking some quiet time for yourself and begin to think what YOU want out of this life. Because we only get one chance, there are no "Do Overs". Start living your life more fully today! All the best until next time!

Kevin Bungert

Life Lessons from Larkfield Little League

2008-06-11T20:22:28Z

I coach my son's little league team and unfortunately we are not very good. I guess the draft Gods were not looking down upon us. The kids are 9 and 10 year olds, and they really are a blast to coach.

In trying to keep them in as many games as possible and trying to teach them a little about baseball too, I find myself telling them the same things over and over and over again. I constantly tell them when there up at bat, "to have a good eye first, then swing hard at the good ones." When they're out in the field, I'm always telling them, "to be ready on every pitch because it could be coming to you." And whether I'm encouraging our pitcher or one of our hitters, I also yell "Keep fighting, stay in the game!"

I've said these things hundreds of times during our season, I was thinking about it last night for some reason, and then my thoughts turned to my coaching business and real estate. I started to think how these comments really could be related to our industry.

When I say, "have a good eye first, then swing hard at the good ones," I could easily be talking about prospecting. There are so many systems in this business that you can use, but NO ONE can use them all. So it is up to each agent to look at all the systems available, and then decide which ones they believe are right for them. "Have a good eye first" Then once you have decided which systems you are going to use to generate leads for your business, the next part is to "Swing hard at the good ones." That means to really go after business by actually using the chosen systems. Take your cuts, put your systems in place and let it rip!

The one thing I really hope I can teach my boys by the end of the season, is to be ready on every pitch. That's REALLY hard for 9 and 10 year olds during a 3 hour game. There's dirt to play with, there's hats and gloves to thrown in the air, there's other games to watch and there are clouds and birds to discover!

Being ready on every pitch in a baseball game is the same as being ready for business every day. We never know exactly when our leads are going to come to us, but it is extremely important for us to be ready for it every day. We need to be dressed for work every day that we are working. We need to have all our tools and forms ready every day. We must have our name badges on and business cards in hand. We do not know if we are going to get a lead today, but we must be ready every day because a lead could be hit to us on any pitch!

I am going to brag a little bit now, almost every time I tell one of my boys who is having a good at bat or our pitcher who is battling with a hitter, to "Keep Fighting and stay in the game," they ALWAYS turn and look at me and give me the best tough guy look a 9 year old can give, and more times than not, he gets on base or the pitcher gets an out. Telling a 9 year old to "Keep Fighting" really works!

In this very difficult market, I would like to tell you the same thing. If you have decided to stay in real estate and have committed to having a good business, KEEP FIGHTING AND STAY IN THE GAME! There really isn't any other viable alternative. If you have searched your soul, spoken with your significant other and talked with your company's representatives and have decided to stay in the game, then keep fighting!

Go back to the basics, start again. Pare down your database to your best people. Contact them. Ask for referrals. Begin to distinguish yourself from all the other local agents. BRAND YOURSELF! Start a personal marketing campaign. Revisit your systems for expired's and FSBO's. Whatever your obstacles are for improving your business, you must figure out the answers! Plain and simple, KEEP FIGHTING AND STAY IN THE GAME!

Because if you do these things, your business will get better, maybe not overnight, but definitely in the very near future. So the next time your watching a little league game, listen to the advice being given to the little ones, there may be a lesson or two for me and you! All the best until next time!

Kevin Bungert

My Biggest Problem.

2008-06-06T22:20:51Z

I was talking with a client last week, and I was suggesting that she needed to be more consistent with her lead generation systems and with the ideas we were kicking around. She then went on to tell me that being consistent was her biggest problem.

I told her that I understand how hard it is to be truly consistent, but if she really wanted her business and her life to get better she would have to ask herself some VERY HARD QUESTIONS! Such as, why wasn't she consistent? What prevents her from being consistent? Where did this problem come from? Has it always been a problem? Has she tried to improve her consistency before? She knows that I am always just trying to help her and she took this line of questioning very well. And I'm very happy to report that in only a weeks time, she has really turned it up a notch and got some very important issues taken care of!

But in speaking with her, it got me thinking about my own life. What was my biggest problem? What issues do I have that have held me back? Where am I lacking in my efforts to achieve my goals? I have asked myself these questions and I would like to share my answers with you.

As an adult I think my biggest problem that has held me back from achieving more in my life is that I don't work as hard as I should. My work ethic is not as good as it should be. I don't think most people would admit that in a public forum. I have worked extremely hard in my life AT CERTAIN TIMES! THAT'S THE PROBLEM. I work very hard when I am interested in something and nobody can out work me when I'm in that mode. And that's how I've been able to be pretty successful. But the problem arises when I lose interest in a project, then I decide not to work that hard at it anymore. I'm a starter, not a manager or a finisher.

I think this problem comes from the fact that for the first 30 years of my life, everything came pretty easy to me. I was a very good athlete as a young person, I got good grades in school without trying too hard, I was voted Best Looking and Best Body in my Senior Year in High School, I was captain of the varsity Basketball team, I was lucky enough to date the prettiest girls I could find, I always seem to make money relatively easy, the truth is, I DIDN'T HAVE TO WORK THAT HARD!

Now before you say, "Ah, poor baby, you had it so hard!" (Sarcastically of course.) My early life shaped who I became. And who I became was a guy who didn't work as hard as he should because he was taught by life that he didn't have to. But by the age of 35, life taught me a new lesson.

I learned that life really only rewards hard work, you can only skate by by charm and good looks for so long. At some point we are all asked to deliver the goods. At some point in our lives, and it is a different time for all of us, we must put up or shut up! I did not know this 10 years ago, I was still cruising along clueless to what life really demands from us.

After several hard years both professionally and personally, I have learned this lesson. It was a lesson that cost me over one hundred thousand dollars to learn. It was a lesson that I learned by almost having a failed marriage. It was a lesson I learned during many, many sleepless nights. But it is a lesson I've learned that I am now grateful for. I now know that at some point in life, everyone must put their head down and work very hard for the things they want in life. I have learned my lesson!

Why am I sharing with you my biggest fault? Two reasons, first I believe to make MY life better I must be completely honest with myself, that includes acknowledging my weaknesses and well as my strengths. And secondly and more importantly, I hope my story will help you make YOUR life better. I hope you read this post and learn the lesson I had to learn without the actual pain. It's very smart to learn from other people's mistakes, it hurts less!

It's okay to fail, we all have and we all will. The key is to ACTUALLY LEARN THE LESSON AND DON"T REPEAT IT! I have actually learned my lesson, and I'm WORKING VERY HARD NOT TO REPEAT IT! Both figuratively and actually!

What's your biggest problem? What has been holding you back? Where did your problem come from? I hope you'll ask yourself these questions and answer them honestly. Making your life better can only begin when we decide to be brutally honest with ourselves, yes of course it will be uncomfortable, it will be scary and it may even be extremely painful. But the acceptance of your life as it is, with successes as well as failures, is the only true way to move forward to all your goals!

At least you don't have to write a blog about it, unless of course you think it might help me, then I would love to hear your story! All the best until next time!

Kevin Bungert

Is it time for something new?

2008-05-31T22:32:08Z

As we are about to begin the month of June, a harsh reality of real estate sets in. Your year is half over! That's right, it's June already, and because of how real estate works, 2008 is half over!

How has your year been so far? Are you on target with your production goals? Have you sold as many houses as you hoped? If not, maybe it's time to consider something new. Because if you keep doing the same things, you'll get the same results!

Maybe it's time to re-visit your personal sphere and reach out to them in person. How about starting that personal marketing campaign you have thought about? What about holding a first time buyers seminar at your local library? Have you ordered a new name badge and new business cards?

Maybe it's time to order magnetic car signs for your business. What about re-visiting your website or blog and updating it? Maybe it's time to finally say yes to that invite from the local networking group. Could it be time to ask your manager for more help? How about signing up with one of the national real estate trainers? Maybe it's time to consider hiring a coach.

Have you thought of hiring an assistant part time, to help you out? Maybe it's time for a 1-800 number for your business. Maybe you should start running that ad you been holding back on. There are lots of systems out there that you may not be utilizing.

Now before you get too upset, I know many of these things will cost you more money. But if you want to do more business, you'll have to invest more time, energy and yes, money. But what's the alternative?

Doing the same things you have been doing and not selling as many houses as you can. If you want to increase your business, you'll have to take some risks, you'll have to spend some money on your business. It may hurt in the short term, but come December, when you look back on you entire year, you'll be real glad you did!

If the first half of this year hasn't been what you need it to be, it's up to you, and only you, to try something new! Take that next scary step, take control of your life and your business. The world rewards action! All the best until next time!

Kevin Bungert

New Group Growing Fast!

2008-05-30T19:22:10Z

Less than 2 weeks ago I started a new group dedicated to helping all achieve their goals in their real estate businesses and to help all those who would like to reach their goals in ALL areas of their lives.

I'm very happy to report we are growing fast! We have grown at more than one new member a day! I'm very thankful for every member who has decided to join our group.

I hope you'll take a moment and check out our new little group. We have some of the most inspiring bloggers on Activerain. Great new insights are posted all the time. If you would like to take tighter control of the reins of your business and your life, please check out the group, GOALS and DREAMS at http://activerain.com/groups/goals.

And then I hope you'll join us, and share all your ideas on how to reach all your GOALS and DREAMS! Everyone has life experience and I hope you'll consider sharing yours with us! All the best until next time!

Kevin Bungert

Investor Business Daily Secrets

2008-05-25T19:28:10Z

If you have read my posts before, you probably know that I love a good list. I use them in my coaching business everyday and I use them in my life also. Today I would like to share with you one of my favorite compilations of ideas to help us improve our lives.

It comes straight from the Investors Business Daily and I have had it taped to the corner of my refrigerator for over 4 years. I have read it hundreds of times and it has helped me enormously, especially on tough days. I hope it will do the same for you!

1. How you think is everything. Always be positive. Think success not failure. Beware a negative environment.

2. Decide upon your true dreams and goals. Write down your specific goals and develop a plan to reach them.

3. Take Action. Goals are nothing without action. Don't be afraid to get started. Just do it.

4. Never stop learning. Go back to school and read books. Get training and aquire skills.

5. Be persistent and work hard. Success is a marathon not a sprint. Never give up.

6. Learn to analyze details. Get all the facts, all the input. Learn from your mistakes.

7. Focus your time and money. Don't let other people or things distract you.

8. Don't be afraid to innovate; be different. Following the herd is a sure way to mediocrity.

9. Deal and communicate with people effectively. No person is an island. Learn to understand and motivate others.

10. Be honest and dependable; take responsibility. Otherwise #'s 1-9 won't matter.

Investors Business Daily has spent years studying leaders and successful people from all areas of life, to come up with this list. It is ABSOLUTELY RELATIVE TO REAL ESTATE!

How you think is everything, write down your goals, take action, never stop learning, work hard, learn to analyze details, focus you time and money, be different, communicate with people effectively and be honest and dependable!

This list could have come from JUST SUCCESSFUL REALTORS!

I enjoy this list so much because of how it starts. If I'm having a tough time or struggling with something, I just go and start reading...How you think is everything! It always puts everything in the proper perspective for me!

I hope you'll print out this great little list and tape it to your fridge! It has helped me more times than I can tell you! All the best until next time!

Kevin Bungert

Goals and Dreams- New Group

2008-05-19T19:02:33Z

I would just like to invite everyone to take a look at our new group. It is a place for everyone to share tips, ideas, stories, successes and inspiration to achieve our real estate goals and our goals and dreams from all areas of life.

Everyone has experience. Some more than others in real estate, but life experience comes at any age. I would love to hear from you and hopefully you can share the insights that have helped you achieve your goals.

Remember, "Success in life is in what you do for others! "- Danny Thomas.

All the best!

Kevin Bungert

Why Does Coca-Cola Paint Their Trucks?

2008-05-18T13:35:49Z

Quick, what does a Coca Cola delivery truck look like? What color shirts do the sales associates wear at Target? What does McDonald's logo look like? What's your favorite Super Bowl commercial of all time?

I was coaching a client this week and I asked him these questions. He answered them very easily, just like you just did, and then I asked him why these VERY SUCCESSFUL COMPANIES do these things?

Coca-Cola paints their trucks because they want you to see it every time it passes and make you think about drinking Coke instead Pepsi.

Target makes all their associates wear red shirts to look professional, and this way you know who to ask for help in their stores.

McDonald's has the Golden Arches logo so you know it's a McDonald's just by seeing the arches.

Companies spend millions of dollars for thirty seconds during the Super Bowl because they can get their product or service seen by over a billion people.

Why do VERY SUCCESSFUL COMPANIES continue to do these things and hundreds more?

LEADS! LEADS! LEADS! AND MORE LEADS!

If you have read my blog in the past, you know I believe the thing that you need to be best at in your business is producing leads. Before anything else, you should get good at producing more leads. Before you go ON the listing appointment, you have to GET A LISTING APPOINTMENT!

Coca- Cola still paints their trucks so you'll think about taking a Coke off the shelf rather than a Pepsi. GoDaddy.com buys a Super Bowl spot every year because they know it will drive more people to their domain name website. McDonald's puts their logo on everything across the globe, so people know that they can get a Big Mac where ever they see the Golden Arches.

All VERY SUCCESSFUL COMPANIES do these things to drive their businesses and produce leads! What about you? What about your business? Are you a brand that people can recognize in your marketplace? Does all your advertising match? Is your logo on everything? How about your tag line? Do you have a logo and tag line for your business? If not, why not?

If Coca- Cola and McDonald's thinks it's a good idea, I'm going to copy it! You should do the same for your business. Look at VERY SUCCESSFUL COMPANIES AND COPY THEM! They know how to generate leads, so begin to implement some of their practices in your business! Copy the lead generation techniques of big business, they know how to produce a customer and keep a customer.

Think about this question, if I was your manger and I decided to give you EVERY CMA call that came into your office, would you make more money this year? Well, DUH!

That is essentially what I'm doing, I'm telling you that NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN GENERATING NEW LEADS! FOCUS MORE TIME AND ENERGY ON LEAD GENERATION. Everything else should take a back seat, because you can't get good on a listing presentation, without first HAVING A LISTING PRESENTATION!

So you might want to invest in a logo for yourself, and maybe paint your real estate delivery truck! All the best until next time!

Kevin Bunget

Anything is Possible- Everyday Edison's

2008-05-17T20:59:58Z

I just got back from Rhode Island where I tried out for the PBS show "Everyday Edisons." If you are not familiar with the show, it is a show that takes 12 product ideas and turns them into ready for market products.

My idea is called the "ELLIPTI-TRIKE," it is an elliptical trainer that you can ride outside. I have a basic website for my idea at www.ellipti-trike.com. Please check it out if you would like. I did not get selected for the show, but I was not disappointed at all!

Actually, on the drive home I was feeling pretty good. I was proud of how I spent my Saturday. I got up at 3 AM and drove 4 hours from Long Island to Providence, Rhode Island to get there early. It didn't really help though, there were already 500 people in front of me.

Undeterred, I waited patiently in line to register. While waiting, I talked with other would be inventors and enjoyed meeting several new people. Being a personal coach and motivator, I also tried to lift the spirits of anyone I came into contact with, and I think I succeeded many times.

I had all my materials with me and had them ready when I was finally called to present my idea to the panel of judges, that didn't happen until 1PM. Although I was a little tired, I made my pitch the best I could. It didn't go my way today, but I left to drive the 4 hours back home, feeling really good about myself! I put in the effort necessary to try and make one of my goals happen, you can't ask for much more than that!

And I was not alone in my quest today, 2000 other inventors showed up at the Rhode Island Convention Center to try and make their dream come true. Do you know why? Because just like me, they believe ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!

Every person there today has a dream,which is to bring their idea for a product to the market. Each one took the steps necessary to audition for the show. I met people from all over America. They flew in for the weekend and paid for a hotel room too. Some brought large protypes that were not easy to maneuver and some brought sleeping babies. Everyone did what they had to do to take their shot at making the show. Why? Because they believe ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!

And for a select few, they were successful today in getting one step closer to making their dreams a reality. Today made me think about going after your dreams. I saw 2000 people today taking a chance and going after their dreams. I was really proud to be in that group!

What about your dreams? Have you written them down? Have you taken the first baby step in making your dreams come true? Are you being persistent even if you face rejection? Are you searching out others that can help make your dreams a reality? I sure hope so, because if today has taught me anything, it's that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE AND ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS KEEP TRYING!

I hope you really believe that, because as Walt Disney said, "ALL OUR DREAMS CAN COME TRUE-IF WE HAVE THE COURAGE TO PURSUE THEM!"

If you haven't started going after your dreams yet, I hope you'll take a lesson from all the people at today's audition. Take that first step, don't be afraid. Reach out and ask for help, you'll feel so proud when you do!

I didn't get chosen today, but I still had a great day, I took a step I never took before and as Helen Keller said, "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." I truly believe that and today was a great day in that adventure. I hope the same thing for you tomorrow! All the best until next time!

Kevin Bungert

Core Coaching Messages #5 There Are More Important Things In Life Than Money

2008-05-09T12:00:14Z

I was sitting and talking with one of my coaching clients this afternoon, and he said something that got me thinking more about this coaching message. He said that he wasn't looking to make a million dollars, he just wanted to increase his gross income about 50k.

Now this is a pretty good Realtor, he already earns over 100k for himself and his family, but he understands that there is still more to life than just money! He would like to increase his business and keep more profit for himself. He does not however, want to give up more of his life with his family. He surprised me with his candor. He was SERIOUS!

This client, who I've known for many years and I consider a good friend, broke his back in an accident that could have also killed him. He was actually lucky to come out with just a broken back. This accident has given my friend a great insight to life. He understands what is truly important in life. He knows that money is very important, but he knows that there are things that are more important!

I have a list of things that I consider to be more important money, I share these ideas with my coaching clients, I would like you to consider them tonight and maybe add some of your own.

Some things that I consider to be more important than money are your health, time with your family, time with your friends, time to practice your faith, maintaining your integrity, making great memories and your photos.

To really understand that there actually are many more things in this life more important than money, let me ask you an innocent question. Is there any amount of money I could give for you to turn over EVERY photo and negative you have in your house? If I could give you 10 million dollars, would you give me every picture of your children? Would you give me all your pictures of you as a child or newlywed? What would it take to give up every picture you have of your grandparents or great grandparents?

For me, there is no amount of money you could give me for me to give up the pictures of my children. I have a picture of my Dad who passed away 2 years ago, on my visor in my car. I would not give you that picture for 10 million dollars. I mean it, there are some things that are just more important than money.

Think about this simple example, what is more important than money for you? Ask yourself this question and whatever your answers may be, make sure you take time in your life for those wonderful things. Run a really good business, but ALSO take time for the things in life that money can't buy! If you have any other things to add to my list, I'd love to hear them!

I'm gonna go sit with my son now, and look at some pictures of him over the years , all the best until next time!

Kevin Bungert

Core Coaching Messages #4 We Have All Been Given So Much Time!

2008-05-02T21:12:58Z

If you asked my daughter Lindsay who is the most impatient man on the planet is, she would laugh and say my Dad. I am impatient, but not in a bad way. I just put everything through my time filter. I always ask myself if what I'm doing is worth my time. I only have so much time. I only have been given so much time here, so with that thinking I ALWAYS RUN EVERYTHING THROUGH MY TIME FILTER.

One of my favorite sayings comes from the John Wayne movie "The Cowboys." John Wayne would wake up the young boys he hired to help him bring in his cattle by saying, "We're burning daylight!" That's how I feel everyday! I always tell me family let's go, we're burning daylight, even if it's at night!

I constantly ask myself if I'm wasting my time. If I'm involved in an activity that I feel is a complete waste of my time, I won't be there long. The reason is, I am acutely aware that I only have so much time here on this big rock. So with that thinking, I always decide if what I'm doing is a good use of my time. Obviously, some activities are a necessary use of time, like work and sleep, but what about all the other hours in your day?

For me, my family gets most of my free time, which I consider the highest and best use of my time. My son Kevin Jr is 10 and he gets a lot of my free time, this season I'm coaching him in Little League. As I write this post, I'm also watching Friday Night Smackdown with him. He loves those guys! When they come to Long Island, I've promised to take him to see it live.

My daughter Lindsay who is 14, doesn't really want much of my time any more, her friends rate much higher than I do. But that's okay, it's supposed to be that way. I get my time with her because I have a license and she always needs a ride. IT'S A PERFECT MATCH!

My wife Kimberly gets a lot of my time because we do so much as a family, but one area we definitely are lacking in is time alone. We're aware of it and we're trying to be better, I need to take her on more dates!

Next, I get a lot of my free time. I run a lot, I read a good bit, I watch a limited amount of TV, stuff I like, such as John Adams recently on HBO. I am a firm believer in me time, I don't think I can be my best and be there for those that count on me, if I didn't take the necessary time for myself.

There a few other things mixed in, mostly family, friends and community, but that's how I chose to spend my time. I chose who I spend my time with, I chose how much time I spend with them and I am always aware if I am wasting my time. Time is precious, we can't get back wasted time. Lost time cannot be replaced, lost money can, lost love can, but lost time you never get back. We all have been given just so much time!

How do spend your free time? Who do you spend it with? What's your highest and best use of your time? I would like to suggest that you think about time a little differently. Think about your day, is there some time you can reclaim for yourself? Are there activities that you know waste your time? If so, try to limit them. Actively think about your free time, ask yourself these questions and try to carve out more free time for your own priorities.

REMEMBER, WE'RE BURNING DAYLIGHT! UNTIL NEXT TIME, ALL THE BEST!

Kevin

Core Coaching Messages #3 The Most Important Thing In Life Is Your Health

2008-04-30T19:46:29Z

Tonight I would like to share with you another of my 10 Core Coaching Messages that I use in my own life and in my coaching business. Tonights message is the most important thing in life is your health. A couple of months ago, before I decided to share all my core coaching messages with you, I wrote a post titled What Is The Single Most Important Thing In Life, it is a post about this core message, I would like to share it with you again tonight.

What is the single most important thing in life?

I ask this question at seminars I hold and boy, you wouldn't believe how strongly people defend their answers. The two most common answers are one's family and one's faith. They make up the other two of the top three most important things in life, but the MOST important thing in life is your health. Now before you get all worked up and start defending YOUR answer, let me defend mine. I'd like to tell you three stories of people I know about, you'll absolutely know two of them and the third, I hope you'll just remember after her story.

The first person I'd like to tell you about is a man who was beloved by millions of people in his lifetime, perhaps even billions. This man is responsible for more happiness on this Earth than any other human being in history. This man was loved by his wife Lillian and daughters Sharon and Diane. He was loved and protected by his brother Roy and he had a close group of friends and a job that he loved. He earned a very good living and was respected in his industry. This man was also a man of faith and lived his life in a very honorable way. No one would argue that fact.

However, this man being human had several flaws, like we all do, and one of them was that he relied on cigarettes to relieve his stress. He was a three pack a day smoker of unfiltered Camels. You probably can guess what happened to this special man. He passed away from lung cancer at the age of 65. But two weeks before he passed, he said to his son-in-law Ron, "If I could get 15 more years, I could surpass all the work I've done already." Even he knew he had a lot more to offer the world and because of his smoking he was being taken away 15 years to early. This special man was Walter Elias Disney.

There is a certain age man in this country that when you mention this next mans name, they usually get teary eyed. This man was also beloved by millions of people. He gave them great joy and hope and excitement. He was probably one of the most gifted athletes of all time. He was the biggest of stars in the 1950's and early 60's. He also had a wife who loved him and four sons who adored him as a young father. Every where this man went he was the center of attention and every one wanted to buy him a drink, and he never disappointed them. Unfortunately, he had his demons also. You see this man's father, who he adored, died of Hodgkin's disease at the age of 39 and so did his uncle. He thought he was going to succumb to the same fate. He thought he would be dead by the age of 40. So he enjoyed life and lived hard.

He became an alcoholic and ravaged his body with all the late nights and alcohol. Life threw this man a curve and he did not develop Hodgkin's disease like his father and uncle, and he lived into his sixties. However, the drinking had taken it's toll. He needed a liver transplant, which he was lucky enough to receive. But during the operation, doctors saw that he also had cancer. He did not live much longer. But before he passed, this courageous man held a press conference and because of who he was, everyone listened. He said "Don't be like me. take care of your body." He also said, " If I'd known I was going to live this long, I'd have taken better care of myself!" His name was Mickey Mantle.

The next person I'd like to tell you about is someone I knew personally. She was the oldest in the family of ten kids. She was gorgeous and very kind also. She was loved by her parents and all her brothers and sisters. At the age of 18 she went off to college and started her life on her own. She landed a job as a computer programmer with McGraw-Hill at their facilities in New Jersey. She eventually met a man whom she married, they did not have children, but by this time she had plenty of nieces and nephews to spoil. Which she loved to do. She was a woman of faith and lived her life very honorably.

Every year at Christmas, she would return to her parents house in New York, with truly special gifts for every single member of her huge family. She loved sports, especially football and bowling. She enjoyed fishing with her husband on their boat. She earned a very nice living and really enjoyed her job and co-workers. She was loved by everyone who knew her. Unfortunately, just like Walt Disney she too was a smoker. This special woman developed lung cancer at the age of 53 and passed away the next year. My sisters name was Mary Bungert-Tuccillo.

I'm sharing these stories with you this evening, not to depress you and not even to scare you. I'm sharing these stories with you to hopefully help you. The single most important thing in life is to take care of yourself. As you can tell by these stories, your family's love is not enough for a long and healthy life, adoration of millions of people is not enough for a long and healthy life and being a person of faith is not enough for a long and healthy life.

You must decide that taking care of yourself is the answer to a long healthy and fulfilling life. If you do not take care of yourself, you won't be able to accomplish all that is possible for you. If you do not take care of yourself, you'll go out 15 years to early like Walt Disney or 30 years to early like my sister Mary. And it's not just smoking that's the problem. Look at Mickey Mantle's story.

There are 4 problem areas for all of us. I call them "The 4 Monkeys" 1. Smoking 2. Drinking 3. Drugs 4. Food. If you have one of these monkeys on your back, get help. There is professional help for each area of abuse of the 4 monkeys. I have coached hundreds of real estate agents over the years and I tell every single one the same thing. If you want to make more money and have a better business, start by taking better care of yourself.

If you begin to take better care of yourself, you'll feel better, you'll look better and you will BE better. You will want to be better in every area of your life. I've seen it happen hundreds of times. It will directly relate to your business. So start to take better care of yourself today, go for a walk around the block, have a Lean Cuisine for lunch, have a couple glasses of water today. Begin to make your health your #1 priority and I guarantee you, your life AND your business will get better! And if you are already taking great care of yourself, look for someone to help. Share your wisdom. I wish for you health, happiness and more deals! Until next time, all the best!

Kevin Bungert

Core Coaching Messages #2 Life is Precious and Life is Short

2008-04-28T20:04:50Z

This is the second installment of my series of my 10 Core Coaching Messages. These 10 ideas are the basis of how I try to live my life and I would like to share them with my friends here at AR. Today's message is LIFE IS PRECIOUS AND LIFE IS SHORT.

Now, you have heard this one a thousand times before, but tonight I would like you to consider this message as more than mere words. I would like you to take this message to heart, I would like you to really consider how precious life is. And the purpose to believing this, is to live your life more fully everyday!

Some people unfortunately, learn this lesson way too early in life. They may have lost a loved one as a child or young person. I learned this lesson when I was 30 years old. I am one of 10 kids in a family that grew up in the heart of suburbia, in a town called Hicksville, NY on Long Island. Yes, I said Hicksville!

I have 6 older sisters and 2 older brothers and 1 brother who is younger than I am. In 1994, my brother Bob was driving home with his son Robert after a day of working in his landscaping business. He pulled over to the shoulder of the Long Island Expressway to look for something in the back seat of his car. At that exact moment, a driver was asleep at the wheel of a small dump truck and hit and killed my brother. My nephew thank goodness was unharmed, except for seeing this happen to his Dad.

My brother was only 39 years old at the time, he just bought his first house with his wife on the east end of Long Island. In addition to my nephew who was only 14, Bob had 2 daughters who were also both young teenagers. Devastation would still be an understatement. We had never experienced death in our family before and now suddenly it was everywhere. It was overwhelming to say the least. Bob was my best man at my wedding and my best friend.

From that moment on, I have never looked at life the same way. I know how precious life is. I know how quickly it can be taken from us. With understanding that, there is a lesson to be learned. It is simply, to live your life fully everyday. To live your life knowing it can be taken at any moment. To live your life doing the things you want to, because you don't know how long we have. To live your life not in a fearful way of this fact, but rather to celebrate life itself.

Looking back at my brother Bob's life, he already understood this fact. He did not have a lot of money, but he always enjoyed his life with his children. Whether it be a Friday night at Friendly's or a Sunday afternoon at the park with our extended family, Bob knew how to get the most out of life. I try everyday to remember this lesson learned.

It was reinforced once again in October 2006. My oldest sister Mary passed away from lung cancer at the age of 54. She was a wonderful and loving older sister, who really lived her life. She loved the Washington Redskins, she loved to bowl and loved to be out on her boat with her husband. She loved her work and her family. She also got the most of her time here.

When I think of Bob and Mary, I'm sad of course, but honestly only for a moment. I quickly revert to knowing that LIFE IS PRECIOUS AND LIFE IS SHORT! And I quickly remember the lessons of their lives is that we should live our lives as fully as we can everyday. We should spend time with the people we love, tell them we love them every chance we get. We should try to do the things that we enjoy in life as much as possible. We should try to see new things, enjoy new activities and meet new people. And cherish the great memories we can make everyday!

I can honestly say, I try to do that as much as possible, just ask my kids! I hope the same for you and your family. If you haven't learned this lesson in your on life yet, please take this message from my life and remember, LIFE IS PRECIOUS AND LIFE IS SHORT! All the best until next time!

Kevin

Core Coaching Messages #1 Nobody's Perfect, Forgive Yourself and Start Again!

2008-04-27T20:54:43Z

If you have been following my blog recently, you know I just finished a 12 part series on Living Well. These are 12 ideas I have compiled that can help us improve our lives. If you haven't had a chance to check it out, please do!

Today I would like to share some insights that I use repeatedly in my coaching business. They are my 10 CORE COACHING MESSAGES. These are ideas that I base my coaching business on. These are my core beliefs on how to live my life. They have been very helpful to myself and my clients and I would like to share them with my friends here on AR.

I came up with the first core message long before I had a coaching business. I actually started preaching it when I owned my real estate offices, because of all the stories I would hear from my agents. My first core coaching message is NOBODY'S PERFECT, FORGIVE YOURSELF AND START AGAIN!

Now I know you've heard the NOBODY'S PERFECT part, a million times and it's absolutely true, but the FORGIVE YOURSELF AND START AGAIN is the new part.

I can't tell you how many times an agent of mine or a client, has told me a story in their lives that they just beat themselves up for over and over and over. They just say the meanest things about themselves for the mistakes they have made in their lives. They just are absolutely unforgiving when it comes to the big mistakes in their lives!

LISTEN CLOSELY, WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES. WE ALL HAVE MADE REALLY BIG MISTAKES. WE HAVE ALL MADE SOME REALLY HORRIBLE CHOICES IN OUR LIVES. I HAVE MADE MISTAKES THAT HAVE LOST ME FRIENDS, I HAVE MADE MISTAKES THAT COST ME TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, I HAVE MADE MISTAKES THAT PUT MY MARRIAGE IN JEOPARDY. I WILL MAKE OTHERS TOO, BUT DO YOU KNOW WHAT?

I do not beat myself up for them. I have learned over the years that I make mistakes, some of them big ones, but it does not define who I am. WHAT I DO RIGHT IN MY LIFE DEFINES WHO I AM AND WHAT I DO RIGHT IN MY LIFE FAR OUTWEIGHS MY MISTAKES!

I have never met you in person, but I will guarantee you that it's the same for you. Your mistakes should not define your life, your successes should. Now, I have also learned over the years how hard this is to do for some people. One thing that always amazes me is, how hard people are on themselves for their mistakes. As I said earlier they are unforgiving. I think it is because how much pain and stress some of their decisions have caused them. I am not clueless to this way of thinking, I understand pain and stress. BUT I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY SOMEONE WON'T FORGIVE THEMSELVES!

One of the first things you must learn to help you move forward in your life, is to learn to forgive yourself for your mistakes. You probably did not kill anyone, you may have made some horrible choices, but if you are like my clients, you are a good and decent person. You work hard to take care of your family, you follow the law, you help other people and you're a good friend and neighbor. You are a nice person! You deserve to be forgiven for your mistakes. NOBODY'S PERFECT, FORGIVE YOURSELF AND START AGAIN!

No matter what mistakes might be haunting you, I think it's time you gave yourself a break and forgave yourself. Cut yourself some slack! Let go of those negative feelings associated with those decisions. What we all need to do is to learn from our mistakes and try to be better next time. If you want your life to be better, this is a big step. Let go of the past! Stop beating yourself up! Be a little kinder to you! Forgive yourself for whatever you need to and move on! If you need to try and make things right about some of your mistakes, then go ahead and try, but no matter how that may go, no more beating your self up! NOBODY'S PERFECT, SO STOP TRYING TO BE! FORGIVE YOURSELF AND START AGAIN!

ALL THE BEST UNTIL NEXT TIME!

KEVIN

12 Steps To Living Well- Step #12 Don't Be Afraid!

2008-04-23T20:36:03Z

Well, this is the last step in our 12 ideas to help us improve our lives. This one step will make everything else work. But before I get into it in more detail, let me give you all 12 ideas one last time!

1. Define your purpose.

2. Be honest with yourself.

3. Define your short term goals.

4. Stay positive and believe in yourself.

5. Learn new information.

6. Make different choices.

7. Take action.

8. Reprogram your negative self talk.

9. Make new associations.

10. Refine - continually try to improve.

11. Help others.

12. DON'T BE AFRAID!

Before I get going, let me give you a disclaimer right from the beginning. I BELIEVE EVERYTHING WE DO NOT ACHIEVE IN OUR LIVES IS BECAUSE WE ARE AFRAID OF SOMETHING! I BELIEVE FEAR IS WHAT HOLDS US BACK FROM EVERYTHING!

If you have read some of my posts before, you know my all-time favorite self help book is "FEARLESS LIVING" by Rhonda Britten. If you haven't read it yet, you should, it's brilliant! Rhonda talks about that basically we all have the same fear. In some form, WE ARE ALL AFRAID THAT WE ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH IN SOME WAY!

It may be that we think we are not smart enough, or that we aren't talented enough, or we are not good looking enough, or that we can't speak eloquently enough, or that we just simply aren't good enough! Whatever your version is, it really doesn't matter, because I've come to learn that if we want our lives to be better, we have to do some things that might scare us!

If you don't believe me that some form of fear holds you back from being more, let me ask you a few questions. What are your true dreams and goals? What do you really want to accomplish in this life? Are you taking any steps towards your goals? What's holding you back? Are you afraid someone in your life might not approve of your choices? Are you afraid you might lose some money? Are you afraid that maybe you don't have the all the talents you need? Have you started and stopped several times? WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?

If we answer these questions honestly, there will be some form of fear mixed in there. These are the facts, but that's okay! Fear is a completely normal emotion. OUR JOB IS TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR FEAR AND KEEP MOVING FORWARD! WE HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT SOME THINGS ARE GOING TO SCARE US! However, to accomplish all the things we would like to, we have to move forward anyway!

Because if you think about it, what's the worst that can happen? What is there to be afraid of? If you open up a new business and it fails, yes, you may lose some money, but they not going to shoot you! They're not going to take away your loved ones. You lost some money, big deal! You can always make more money if you don't give up!

Maybe you'll try something and fail, and someone very close to you loses some respect for you. So what? If that person is that simple minded, maybe you shouldn't be around them any way! Now I know this may sound harsh, but I am talking from personal experience and I have learned not to be afraid to try something new if it is something I truly want to do!

I HONESTLY DO NOT CARE WHAT ANYONE ELSE THINKS! I AM THE JUDGE OF MY SELF WORTH! I DO NOT GIVE ANYONE ELSE THAT POWER. I am not afraid of what any one else thinks of me. I know I am a good person and that's all that matters. I am human like everyone else and I make plenty of mistakes, but I try to learn from them and I NEVER WORRY WHAT SOME ONE ELSE THINKS!

If I could help you with one thing from this list, it would be this. DON'T BE AFRAID! Don't be afraid of failure, don't be afraid of what other people think or say. ONLY YOU SHOULD BE THE JUDGE OF YOU! DO NOT GIVE THAT POWER TO ANYONE ELSE!

BE COURAGEOUS! BE FEARLESS! TAKE RISKS! LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES! TAKE MORE RISKS! AND REMEMBER, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO SHOOT YOU IF YOU FAIL! AND YOU WILL SOMETMES, BUT THE PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD WHO ACHIEVE SOMETHING WORTHWHILE, DO NOT GIVE UP AND THEY ARE NOT AFRAID OF TAKING ANOTHER STEP!

We can all be that person! All it takes is the belief in your dreams and the understanding that no one else's opinion of you matters. The only person's whose opinion of you that matters is your own! If you don't believe it yet, I hope that you will start believing it right now! I KNOW IT TO BE ABSOLUTELY TRUE AND I WANT THE SAME FOR YOU! BUT ONLY YOU CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN! START TODAY! DON'T BE AFRAID!

ALL THE BEST UNTIL NEXT TIME!

KEVIN

12 Steps To Living Well- Step #11 Help Others

2008-04-17T21:41:25Z

We are winding down our list. I hope you have been able to work some of these ideas into your lives, because we ALL want to live a more productive and fulfilled life. Our next step is a good one, HELP OTHERS! But before I get into it in more detail, let me share with you all 12 ideas for improving our lives.

1. Define your purpose.

2. Be honest with yourself.

3. Define your short term goals.

4. Stay positive and believe in yourself.

5. Learn new information.

6. Make different choices.

7. Take action.

8. Reprogram your negative self talk.

9. Make new associations.

10. Refine - continually try to improve.

11. HELP OTHERS

12. Don't be afraid

On a list that is supposed to help me improve my life, why does it include helping others? I'll put aside the real value of helping others for a moment and talk about how it ACTUALLY HELPS US TO HELP OTHERS.

In my business, I spend a lot of time trying to help Realtors improve their lives and their businesses. And EVERY TIME I make a suggestion or pass on an idea, I get to hear it also. If I write a blog that shares advice with the readers, I have to read it myself first. I hear, read and think about ideas on how to improve our lives all day long. IT EVENTUALLY RUBS OFF!

All this information makes me a better person, it makes me more aware of what I'm doing. It makes me question if I am taking my own advice. It keeps me honest. IT KEEPS ME PUSHING TO IMPROVE MY LIFE!

If you want to improve your real estate business, include in your arsenal helping others. Reach out to other Realtors, offer advice, brainstorm, share information. The more you do, the more you get to hear it, and eventually it will rub off on YOU TOO!

Now for the other reason to help others. The late entertainer Danny Thomas said, "Success in life is in what you do for others." I couldn't agree more. Until you turn your talents and knowledge to helping others, you are not truly successful. It doesn't matter how much money you have or how many people know your name, there is no higher form of living than helping others!

Most extremely successful people in this world eventually understand this. Look at Oprah's example. Bill and Melinda Gates, Warren Buffett, Angelina and Brad. All of them are doing amazing work to help others. It is the FINEST MEASURE OF A PERSON!

So in our world, we should be helping others. Share your knowledge and gifts. Lend a helping hand or a sympathetic ear. REMEMBER, SUCCESS IN LIFE IS IN WHAT YOU DO FOR OTHERS!

All the best until next time

Kevin Bungert

Phil Mickelson is Killing Me!

2008-04-12T17:56:29Z

I love phil Mickelson, I really do, but he's killing me once again. Can he come back? Can he stick with Tiger? Is Tiger going to catch Immelman? Of course he is! Enjoy Sunday at the Masters!

12 Steps To Living Well- Step #10 Refine - Continually Try To Improve

2008-04-11T21:36:29Z

This step is basically what this list is all about, this one step is the definition of this list. But before I get into more detail about that, let me give you all 12 ideas to help us improve the problem areas of our lives!

1. Define your purpose.

2. Be honest with yourself.

3. Define your short term goals.

4. Stay positive and believe in yourself.

5. Learn new information.

6. Make different choices.

7. Take action.

8. Reprogram your negative self talk.

9. Make new associations.

10. REFINE - CONTINUALLY TRY TO IMPROVE

11. Help others

12. Don't be afraid

As I stated, this one step is what this list is all about. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US WANTS OUR LIFE TO BE BETTER! Even if you have a great life, it can be better. We can do more, we can be more, we can help others more, we can enjoy life more. There is no limit to how much more our lives can be! I have been blessed with a great life, I have a beautiful wife, two amazing children, our health is good, we have a beautiful home in a beautiful area of the country, we have friends and family we love, we have hobbies we enjoy and we enjoy going places and seeing cool stuff! AND I AM TRULY GRATEFUL FOR MY BLESSINGS! But that doesn't mean it can't be better! There is ALWAYS ANOTHER LEVEL TO ASPIRE TO!

Step #10, basically means put all 9 earlier steps into action and then take a look. If you want to make a change in a certain area of your life that is causing you pain, begin to put these ideas into force in your life and keep trying! NOTHING CHANGES OVERNIGHT, PROGRESS TAKES TIME! You job is to NOT GIVE UP! EVER!

For example, I struggle with my eating all the time! I love to eat goodies, cookies, cakes, chips, all the bad stuff for me. But I know it's not good for me and I want to eat healthier. I TRY EVERY SINGLE DAY TO EAT HEALTHY! Do I succeed every day? Of course not, nobody's perfect, but there are many days that I do great! And on the days I slip, I don't beat myself up anymore, I ask myself what's going on in my life, I answer honestly and I move on to the next day! And I try to eat healthy again! EVERY DAY I TRY TO IMPROVE MY EATING HABITS!

It's the EXACT SAME THING WITH ANY AREA OF YOUR LIFE. Once you decide that there is an area of your life you want to improve, the steps are all the same. If you want to improve your real estate business, put a plan of action into place, then take action and never, ever stop trying to make your business better! Some days you will fail, you'll fall back into your old habits. SO WHAT? TODAY IS A NEW DAY TO TRY AGAIN! Don't spend time beating yourself up. Pick yourself back up and try again! Never stop trying to make your business better and never stop trying to make your life better! There is no other way! The other choice of doing nothing will get you exactly that, NOTHING!

There are a million examples of people never giving up and trying to improve their lives, but one of my favorites is a bout JFK Jr. Do you remember when JFK Jr. was having a tough time passing the New York State Bar exam? I think he failed it 2 or 3 times and he was being crucified in the press for being a dope. Well, I was watching a news cast one day, and JFK Jr. had just failed the latest bar exam and he was being hounded by the press for a quote or an explanation, and he simply turned and looked at them and said, "I GUESS IT'S BACK AT IT THEN!"

I guess it's back at it, what a great way of thinking! No BS, no crying about it, just "IT'S BACK AT IT THEN." I've never forgotten that news clip and I hope you never do. Anytime I fall back, I simply think, "IT"S BACK AT IT THEN" JFK Jr. understood it, I understand it! There is no other acceptable choice. If we want our live s to be better, WE HAVE TO KEEP TRYING TO MAKE THEM BETTER! IT DOESN'T HAPPEN ALL BY ITSELF! IT IS UP TO US!

Next time you fall back, what are you going to do? Are you going to accept it or be like JFK Jr. and say "BACK AT IT THEN!" I know my choice, how about you? Until next time, all the best!

Kevin Bungert

AR Member Running For St. Jude's

2008-04-10T14:53:33Z

On May 4, 2008, I will be running the Long Island Marathon and I will be raising money for St. Jude's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. St Jude's, as all of you may know, is a research hospital dedicated to finding cures for illnesses that afflict children. It was originally started by entertainer Danny Thomas. Since it's inception, St. Jude's has dramatically increased the survival rate of many childhood diseases and has saved the lives of thousands of children.

A marathon is 26 miles, I would like to ask you to sponsor my run for $1 per mile or more if you would like. I have run this marathon 3 times before, each time raising money for a worthy cause. Please help me make this year our most successful year yet, and helping the wonderful people at St. Jude's.

You can make out your check directly to St Jude's and please send it to:

Kevin Bungert

c/o Living Well Systems, Inc.

3 Ardendale Road

East Northport, NY 11731

Thank you for helping the children of St. Jude's, every single one is a precious gift. All the best until next time!

Kevin Bungert