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Are You Living Beyond Your Ability? (The Art of Fruitcake)

Gosh, I hope you are.

People restrict themselves when they consider the possibilities for their life. You are probably on your "second career", as most of us are. Your career may have been in corporate life, small business, child-rearing, or education. You made a conscious choice to take charge of your life and pursue the entrepreneurial life of real estate or mortgage brokerage. Perhaps external forces pushed that "conscious choice" but the very act of closing your first transaction made you a REALTOR or loan originator.

balank canvas Maybe you've been successful, maybe you've been a failure; that doesn't matter today. Today is a blank canvas and you, dear readers, are artists. If you're not, you're thinking is all wrong.

READ: Realtors Should Stop Selling Houses

What CAN you do? Can you close 400 transactions a year, like Russell Shaw? When you do, can you close 2000 transactions a year, like Russell Shaw wants to do? Our dreams are our reality and this market has been robbing so many of you of the delightful pursuit of the ridiculous. Rise to your level of incompetence; that's the best thing that could ever happen to you because it means you're living BEYOND your ability.

Tony Gallegos talks about "changing armies" today at the Mortgage Cicerone:

Changing armies and the honest self assessment that is often required to do so are really the questions at hand. If you are currently in a work environment that does not meet your personal standards for quality, ethics or orientation toward the customer, you should consider moving on. Too often, LO's will stay with an "army" that is wrong for them. The reasons can be endless:

Do not have the time
Do not have the contacts
It's really not that bad here
Lack of visibility in the market

Is your "army" dedicated to the ridiculous notions you had when you entered the business? Do they share the frivolous thought that you can eclipse Russell Shaw and become one of the top 25 REALTORs in the country? If they don't, you're fighting in the wrong army.

Tony Robbins once said that "thoughts are things". Stephen Martile expanded upon that idea:

So thoughts really are things. The beauty of this is that you may choose your thoughts rather than have your thoughts choose you. In the beginning, it’s difficult to change your thought patterns and replace them with new positive thoughts. There is some resistance. This is normal. You may have spent years generating patterns of thought that don’t even support you. If you’re not putting thoughts in your head, then someone else surely will.

Here's my advice:

Give up. Give in. Surrender.

Accept the fact that your reality doesn't equal your fantasy and change it. Don't change your fantasy, I want you to change your reality! If your thoughts are not consistent with your dreams, change your thoughts. If the army you joined doesn't support your fantasy, change your army (or at least put 'em on notice). Aspire to be in SO OVER YOUR HEAD that you are overwhelmed.

Then...ask for help. Be selfish about your dream and ask others to get you there.

There are too many bakers in this world and not enough fruitcakes. Be a fruitcake.

Posted by Brian Brady- America's VA Home Loan Broker on 01/03/2008 10:14 AM

Comments (18)

Originally posted at: America's #1 Mortgage Broker: Are You Living Beyond Your Ability? (The Art of Fruitcake)

18 Comments on Are You Living Beyond Your Ability? (The Art of Fruitcake)

JAN

2008

Change your reality...great advice. Wonderful post!

Brian, well written. Enjoyed reading your thoughts!

I really enjoyed reading this. I have it bookmarked to come back to again and again this year.

sounds like a challenge to me! Excellent advice!

Bob Mitchell

ValueList Real Estate Services, Inc.

This is a great post to begin the New Year. I came in yesterday with the "I will have a great 2008" attitude and what happened? I made those calls...I got those calls...I qualified the buyers...I am happy to say that my first business day of 2008 was in the positive direction I wanted! Speaking with my realtors yesterday I was informed their phones were ringing off the hook! It can be this way for anyone who wants it and believes they can have it! If you are the elf who wants to be a dentist, Hermie the elf who wants to be a dentist!

Hermie the elf who wants to be a dentist!

then go be a dentist! While we do operate in a dynamic world, we create our own reality!

Hi Brian,

How true! I see a little of Geno in your article (that's a good thing). I just don't like being called a fruitcake, unless more people understand the true meaning of word.

Dick Beals

I just don't like being called a fruitcake, unless more people understand the true meaning of word.

but the "art of fruitcake" is living life on YOUR fantasy, regardless of what they think. Tell someone you're a "fruitcake' today and see what happens- I guarantee that you'll have a great conversation

Disclosure: "Fruitcakes" is a 14 year old Jimmy Buffett album that came from his book, Where is Joe Merchant?

I think I missed the boat, I need to subscribe to Tony.

Excellent thoughts Brian, there's lots to ponder here. I'll have to re-read this time and again.

Brian - "There are too many bakers in this world and not enough fruitcakes. Be a fruitcake. " Jimmy B's philosophy works for me! Now where did I put those Junior Mints?!

I believe that Rudy Gulianni is giving all of us a fruitcake for Christmas. Mine hasn't arrived. I suppose it will be here around the first Tuesday in November.

Goodness, I've been in corporate life, small business, child-rearing, education and now real estate for many years. All were an adventure. All ended except the last.

The only real restrictions are self imposed.

Very intersting way of viewing things. I agree, your thoughts and army must match your dreams if you wish to reach your dreams.

Brian, If this is a challenge, where are the points? Oh, I forgot, you disdain points.

Personally, I think we are all a lot happier being under-achievers.

I remember when I was an over-achiever I got thinking about that Peggy Lee song, "Is that all there is?"

You know, I think that that is all there is, so why sweat it?

Relax. Enjoy. Dream. Do.

Bill Roberts

Excellent advice!

JAN

2008

I love this article, Brian. You have a way with words, with sound advice and suggestions. Hope all goes well at Blogger Connect - wish I could make it back East.

Jeff

Brian- I love the Jimmy Buffett reference.. great way to work that in.... I think you have hit the nail on the head with this post. Too many of us simply accept things instead of creating them for ourselves. I heard something on the radio yesterday that struck me as interesting. Since WWII the U.S. has been a nation of consumers not creators..... I think that might be one of the main reasons that so many of us simply accept (consume) our fates.... It is what we see all around us and it is what we are told to do. It has been difficult for me to break away from that mentality and focus on creating my own reality. Off to listen to Jimmy =)

Best,

Scott