Give and Take...Do you know how to do both? Baltimore,Maryland

I learned a lot at Monday's Three Divas for Free event. The plan was for Fran Thorsen, Joeann Fossland, and me to do an interactive panel together. Our plans changed when Joeann got a call that Fran would not be able to attend. Thrown off guard but not for long, Joeann was talking with Bernice Ross and told her about the dilemma. Giving person that she is, Bernice asked if Joeann would like her to stay over and go to Baltimore to fill in? She had a new presentation, and Baltimore could be the place to preview it. (Anyone who knows anything about real estate knows that this was like hitting the lottery - having Bernice Ross and Joeann on the same platform.)

And what did I learn? That Joeann was gracious and said, "Yes, I would love for Baltimore to hear your new presentation." 

Joeann was able to accept an invitation to help. A few phone calls, a few changes to the flyers, a few more Active Rain blogs, an email went out from Martha Lessner to all the WCR members, and Anita Davis who was also at the NAR convention started putting out the word. 

We had a fabulous turn out - Marvin came from Bucks County, Pa, Amad drove in from Ocean City, MD, Andy Norton came in from Northern Virginia, Pat Kennedy drove in from DC. There were many agents and affiliates from Baltimore. With their presentations on ePro and social networking, Joeann and Bernice held the audience from 1:00 until after 4:00 in the afternoon with information, humor, and lots of interaction. The million-dollar-bills that Bernice handed out didn't hurt, either! 

Bernice spoke about the idea that "when you give to others, it comes back to you" (what I've often talked about as "you get by giving.") She said the key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving. It is not always easy to receive – we get so used to giving that we forget how to accept, whether it's help or a compliment or a gift.

This was just one small point of Bernice's seminar, but was really an important "ah ha" moment for me. When someone says, "What can I do to help?" think about it before you answer. My friend and publisher Peg Silloway emailed the night before the event and asked, "What do you need me to do?" My response could have been "Pick up the food," or "Bring the ice," but what I really needed was her presence and support. And she was there. No, Peg is not in real estate, but she sat through the entire afternoon, took photos on her new camera, and then went with us to the crab feast afterward. I knew she had an early morning meeting the following day; she could have bowed out easily, but she stayed and she stayed for me.

It was the same when I asked Joeann what I could do. This magnificent gracious lady said, "You already have done it." Though she did a lot of work to help organize and publicize the event, Joeann allowed me to do some giving. And that's the lesson: Yes, it is important to give, but if we never accept, we deprive someone else of the opportunity to give.

How are you at receiving?

Give and Take...Do you know how to do both? Baltimore,Maryland

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