Gary Woltal's Blog

Wordless Wednesday ~ One Way Street

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:22:05 -0700

Don't WORK So Hard At Happiness

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:03:13 -0700

In watching batters in baseball on a team during a prolonged slump you often hear the manager say they are "pressing." With golfers or basketball players or football players struggling at their position the coach says they are overthinking. So too I think it can be with HAPPINESS. We all want happiness, to feel good most of the time, to have that sense of peace, serenity, and contentment. But

Don't WORK So Hard At Happiness.

Learn to live in the moment, go with the flow, BE HAPPY RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE. Don't always think CHASING THE BUTTERFLY, capturing it and conquering it gets you to happiness. LET the butterfly just land on you. Children PLAY their way to happiness and dogs JUST BE, watch them. Just BEING is a real secret to happiness, that it is OK right where you are.

Don't WORK so hard at happiness, let it COME TO YOU.

A Look At Dads From Sons And Daughters

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 07:28:59 -0700

Well we make it to another Honor Thy Father day. Fathers whether we males are one, our own father, grandfathers, uncles, sons with kids, alive or passed away, all play a role in our lives.

I know everyone from talking to them did not have have the Father Knows Best life, but many fathers did take an early role in our lives in shaping who we are today and providing FUN.

I truly believe our heroes come from our families first, and Dads can be that ONE, heroes especially to sons and first loves to the girls.

Have you heard daughters marry men like their Dads? He is a role model for many daughters.

Wish a great day to all Dads in your life and a quiet solemn prayer thanking those who have passed.

When You Know Posting To Facebook Has Gone Too Far

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 20:11:23 -0700

Friday Funnies ~ Trekkie Fan

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 08:56:05 -0700

It's Not About Telling It's ASKING With Networking

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 08:42:33 -0700

In business it is good to network to learn what future clients are doing in their lives and also what your Associates do, their interests, specialities, and areas they cover. Unfortunately with too many people leaning narcissistic, a conversation from their side tends to be about ME ME ME and if you don't believe it look at advertisements that some agents put out about being #1 all the time. I hate to break it to them but other agents and believe it or not most clients DON'T CARE about that.

The proper way to network is ASK questions and LISTEN. Yes, reveal who you are but don't put the spotlight on you like you are this superstar, someone to worship the ground you walk on. THAT is a huge turnoff, egotistical, and frankly not a caring way to interact with others.

LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN and "tune into" another to get the most out of all your networking. People care when YOU CARE "about them."

It's Called A Check LIST For A Reason

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 09:56:31 -0700

Unless you have a photographic memory of 50 items you probably go to the grocery store with a LIST.

It's Called A Check LIST For A Reason.

You want to know what is there. Are there really teeth under those floppy cheeks of the family dog? YOU CHECK. Check lists in real estate allow you to not let things fall through the crack. Telling a seller with a listing presentation EVERYTHING they need to know. With buyers and sellers, having a checklist of all the forms and knowing all the to do items.

Measure TWICE, cut once. All about being CAREFUL by slowing down.

If you are not a big believer in CHECKING and being careful always remember this one, IF I DON'T HAVE TIME TO DO IT RIGHT "NOW", WHEN WILL I FIND THE TIME TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN?

Yesterday Once More Can Be A Good Thing

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 08:40:48 -0700

I have always encouraged people to not LIVE in the past, but instead to live in today's present MOMENT. But today I depart somewhat from that thought and encourage you to think

Yesterday Once More Can Be A Good Thing.

We tend to get nostalgic about former decades and the years of the good ol' days as if we lost something from then. Well it is true to a degree, like drive in movies, maybe a slower pace of life in all aspects. They say you are OLD if you are always living in the past. And make good memories cause that is what you think about when you are in your rocking chair.

But even in our vital young and middle living years, bringing the good things to mind from the past, like treating people with respect and kindness, allocating quiet time to think, continuing to laugh and be happy with everyone you come in contact with, the past reminds us of good times that can be good times NOW.

Music from the past, all songs we love or associate with people or events, brings the past RIGHT INTO the here and now. Learn from the past and keep the good parts in your life today, in the moment with a combination of yesterday once more living and today living.

That way it is ALL good.

Speechless Sunday ~ Master Or Slave Of Your Technology

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 19:15:13 -0700

Home Sweet Homes Have Expiration Dates

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 13:24:31 -0700

There are a lot of well worn thoughts in housing like making your largest investment, buying that dream home, etc. A biggie is HOME SWEET HOME. But did you honestly realize

Home Sweet Homes Have Expiration Dates?

This is truly cause home is where the HEART is, and nothing stays constant forever. People move on, families grow up, the mix of people in your life changes.

There is a VERY small fraction of homes or places that relatively do not change over 30, 40, 50 years of our lifetime, often rural or pasture settings on remote farms. Encroachment by roads, population, deforesting what used to be trees or orchards or groves, well all that WalMart parking lot that wasn't there 20 years ago tends to make things look a lot different. Visiting old schools the chain link fence may be rusty, buildings or houses LOOK SMALLER than when you lived there, friends or parents or relatives have passed away.

JUST ENJOY HOME SWEET HOME "TODAY" WHERE YOU FIND IT.

It truly is a matter of WHO you are with making ANYPLACE home, not the place itself!!

Friday Funnies ~ Shut Up And Take My Money

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 19:13:51 -0700

This Would Be A Fun App For A Glass

Beware Of The Vacant Lot Next To Your Dream Home

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 13:45:53 -0700

If ONE thing you need when you get with a residential, farm and ranch, or commercial REALTOR is for them to have a WARY EYE about them. That means being OBSERVANT. Beyond POWER LINES near the house or a cell tower they need to

Beware Of The Vacant Lot Next To Your Dream Home.

Don't trust new home sales people in model homes with this concept EVER. Get an agent. Pull ZONING MAPS and see what the zoning is.

Zoning can be commercial right next to your backyard fence where they will build a two story paint store off your patio. Mixed zoning is closer together in parts of town cause it may have been grandfathered in. What about a new car lot COMING SOON with bright lights at night next to your FARM and RANCH?

What will your livestock think about that?

GRAB zoning maps, talk to city fathers about future plans, PARTICULARLY widening of roads coming a year or two out. You will be amazed how a seller OR a new home salesperson just seem clueless on these details and NOT KNOWING THE DETAILS might make you very unhappy in the future.

You Need To Find An Agent Who Can Do A Good Peoplectomy

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 11:33:04 -0700

Often there is a well worn phrase get a real estate agent to do real estate. You need a doctor to do surgery don't you? Well I contend that maybe real estate agents have A LITTLE DOCTOR IN THEM TOO.

Find An Agent Who Can Do A Peoplectomy

The term peoplectomy comes from photo editing particularly in cropping wedding photos to ERASE someone you don't want in the wedding day photo. Uncle Harry on the left side for example who doesn't dress well and smells bad.

Same is true in real estate with BUYING from a seller where you LIKE the home, the property, but are just having a difficulty getting the current PEOPLE out. A good agent will keep working with the listing agent and work the terms, closing date adjustments, extra earnest money, things to sweeten the deal, for the OWNER to get off the dime and get out!! Multiple offers is ADVANCED peoplectomy. Sellers really drag their feet then.

TRUST your EXPERT Peoplectomy Buyer's Agent to GET THE HOUSE and forget who lives there now. They will be history after the closing table anyway but they sure SEEM IN THE PICTURE to you until you do the PEOPLECTOMY.

Remember Failures Are Stepping Stones

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 13:27:34 -0700

Make Your Dreams Big

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 09:58:14 -0700

One thing I have always liked about the mountainous regions of the country is the awe inspiring views of nature from the lower levels to high up in the mountains, even shrouded by clouds or covered by snow. Nature is full of AWE for us and serves as a reminder to

Make Your Dreams Big.

People who are too much of a realist will never know their true potential. You don't know your limits till you get out and stretch those comfort zones.

Dreaming big is exhilarating too. I think dreams should be bold. I do remember clearly the vision of putting a man on the moon before that decade was out. Almost seemed a preposterous idea at the time it was stated, yet we did do it.

Be Big Be Bold with dreams you have in life, and share them with your trusted companions on this journey we call life.

Cracking New Approaches To Get You Out Of Ruts

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 10:30:42 -0700

All of us have gotten into ruts if not ditches being "stuck" in business if not personal situations along the way. We have all heard the view that doing the same thing over and over expecting different results is insanity. It sure is. A shake up is needed in our creativity. Some new approaches need to be cracked.

Some tips and guidelines to stimulate new paths for yourself to get back on track:

Think NOT PERFECT ideas. No Eureka moments but an idea that COULD work. Remove the judgment from an idea. Very popular when we've done group brainstorming ideas planning
New ENVIRONMENT. Place yourself somewhere different. Mix with people that are out of your normal people. Find your happy place, a lake, a Starbucks, out in nature, you know your happy place when you are there. It will calm you to think well
Fuzzy thinking. Allow an idea time to grow and take shape
Steal ideas. Look at others WHO HAVE DONE what you want, build on their ideas

Getting out of a rut requires energy foremost, and dedication on top of that, but MOST IMPORTANT "creativity" to create NEW pathways to REPLACE the old ones that are not working for you anymore.

Speechless Sunday ~ Vulcan Crossroads

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 07:22:12 -0700

Have You Heard Of Google Nose?

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 07:56:37 -0700

Kicking off the month of June as we head into the end of the first half of the year, where does time fly, it reminded me almost like clockwork how in the technology realm Apple used to launch the next iPhone each year. Well the deployments have gotten more erratic of late, the Android products have balanced out in the market with tablets and phones and WHO knows what is next?

Apple Watch, Google Glass, will anyone buy this stuff? They all seem bizarre to me. The Facebook Home phone (did E.T. develop that one?) seems a real dud. In the light of guessing, I have always loved spoofs of celebrities, TV shows, movies, and of course TECHNOLOGY. Humor is great cause there is a tinge of the truth in there IF THE TARGET CAN HANDLE THE TRUTH. Most can't and run home to Mommy, but this one I thought showed Google with them taking over the world it seemed, GOING ONE STEP TOO FAR. Don't forget to smile today.

Have You Heard Of Google Nose?

Friday Funnies ~ The Face Of Innocence

Fri, 31 May 2013 13:20:19 -0700

Thankful Thursdays ~ Don't Grow Up, It's A Trap

Thu, 30 May 2013 13:21:55 -0700

In thinking about what I could be thankful for today it would be to maintain some sense of humor in all situations in life. I call it DON'T GROW UP, IT'S A TRAP. We all have our mature, responsible selves (well some of us do) in relating to others in our personal and business lives. But I have been labeled easily a Silly Gary type, as right in the middle of something serious I see the funny. Lightheartedness, positive attitude, not taking EVERYTHING so seriously all the time can make you a fun person to be around and for sure de-stress the stressful times. So in honor of the old Batman TV series here I go again.....

Creativity Means Seeing And Doing Differently

Wed, 29 May 2013 12:04:09 -0700

I have written earlier about how in exercising your creative juices to get a real estate deal done, consulting others for ideas is not a bad way to go. But what if you are crunched for time? Have to use your own head, Two tips:

Creativity Means Seeing And Doing Differently.

If you look in either the MUSIC or INVENTIONS or ART world, creativity is ALWAYS on display. Think of street art and bringing the mundane to life to "get people talking".

You just have to frame something in a different context. Can't budge on price, is there something you can do with terms, or assist with financing, or throw some personal property in with the deal like that pool table in the game room you didn't want anyway? I heard of in a divorce deal with a very high end luxury home the man said just keep the two cars in the four car garage. ANYTHING is possible with CREATIVITY.

Secondly, JUST TRY stuff. Cookies at open houses to get people to stick around longer and check out the rider on this for sale sign. TRY things, they all don't work but some may surprise you.

He Who Laughs Last ~ A Lesson And A Smile

Tue, 28 May 2013 07:28:36 -0700

It is interesting when you get in small to medium groups of meetings how some people start to gossip about others. It is not flattering on anyone's part. These people are not inherently BAD but it seems like it gives them great joy to talk about others behind their back in negative tone, snicker at them, laugh at them, if not almost you feel they are bullying people cause they are outside their little clique.

It always peeves me when people think they are BETTER than you. The karma effect whether they are aware of it or not WILL catch up to them eventually and spreading nastiness will come back and bite them just like spreading kindness will reward you with more LIGHT in your life eventually. I've seen this cause and effect over and over happen for REAL in life. It did remind me of the well worn phrase, HE WHO LAUGHS LAST LAUGHS BEST and that lesson and a smile is here with a favorite cartoon, either if you have seen it a reminder or not you will understand life is exactly like this.

Connecting The Dead To The Living On Memorial Day

Mon, 27 May 2013 07:39:13 -0700

On Memorial Day we read many articles on its history with the Civil War and the original Decoration Day and that it was May 30th and recent men and women from Iraq or Afghanistan who served and lost their lives and now Memorial Day is EVERY day for those families.

I have found it HARD to thank the dead in person. It is almost like saying I love you to someone in a casket or giving them flowers in the casket.

Love, and thanks, and flowers, must be given for the other person to RESPOND in this life while they are alive with you.

So in my OWN take on Memorial Day, and WHY it is so important to honor those who have died for us, not just with parades but by thinking

Connect The Dead To The Living.

How do we do that????

We remember our

WAY OF LIFE.

Fun, enjoyment, freedoms, security the best we can have, pursuit of happiness.

Think of a road trip with your family dog. THAT is joy. That, and a million other things that can make you happy, that is what these fallen heroes have left behind for us. Plus if we know them directly their memories when they were alive.

Death in the military or combat no one wishes on anyone. It is another part of life. But remember the LIVING part of life that resulted from their sacrifice.

LOVE THOSE ROAD TRIPS and LIFE !!!! (given to us by our fallen comrades)

Same Old Same Old In The World Of Change

Sun, 26 May 2013 11:36:20 -0700

In writing about the rapid pace of change in the world, in people, in nature, it did occur to me that there are exceptions to the rule. You know, constant is death and taxes. This one made me pause as another .......

The more things change, the more you realize Bill Gates still has the same haircut.

The Lesson From The Oklahoma Tornado

Sat, 25 May 2013 16:54:21 -0700

Coming after a week where we had tornadoes in my backyard in Texas, Oklahoma really got slammed with the EF5 one, over 200 mph, 2 miles wide at one point, 17 miles long and an INCREDIBLE 50 minutes on the ground. I listened to a schoolteacher from one of the elementary schools at a funeral of one of the children, 24 total people killed and she started out how saying the day started out at school just like any day. Then later broke down in tears what happened later with the destructive force of the tornado.

SO What Is The Lesson From The Oklahoma Tornado?

Do not take things for granted, particularly EVER with regard to people.

People are precious. Things can be replaced, but if you LIVE IN THE MOMENT and living correctly in life with relationship with ALL people, NEVER hurting people or definitely not hating on people, but showing kindness to EVERYONE you will not have a problem with this not taking for granted thing. Coupled with this is understanding a time reference of the moment. You really have nowhere else to live BUT the moment, the present. People that live in the past I swear are depressed. People who live in the future are restless and not content with where they currently are and are blind to their blessings. But the tornado goes one step further teaching about the SPEED of change. LITERALLY it can change on a dime and the evidence is there with the obliteration of homes. One night safely tucking kids in bed, the next day no home or even worse for some no kids or no parents.

A tornado is an awesome display of power in nature, but don't MISS the lesson, A WAKE UP CALL to not in life take ANY of it for granted particularly people.