Life is Good; Change is Hard

CHANGE IS HARD

I was reminded of this phenomenon this past weekend at Fifth House Lodge in Bridgton, Maine. In the gardens, a butterfly lands and my eyes see something different and how it relates to my business as a REALTOR® and the changes people go through when transitioning from rent to buy.

Where I notice people have a tendency to get stuck is during the Option Period. This is where the transition begins. The person, who relies on reason and logic, has to move forward and trust the journey they are on for change. The defining moment begins to take place after the Home Inspection, when the individual begins to feel some discomfort. The buyer, and/or tenant, recognizes that home maintenance is part of the package deal. As the inspector points out defects, flaws, and concerns, the buyer has to be ready to accept future responsibility and that’s where some people have second thoughts. Is it easier to rent than own? Do I want to maintain a home, or do I want to continue paying rent and let someone else assume responsibility for home maintenance? 

My eyes shift back to the butterfly and the catalyst for change becomes more clearly in focus. Before the awakening, the emergence of the beautiful butterfly, this species was merely a caterpillar, safely snuggled in the comfort a cocoon. It didn’t know what it was like on the outside until it went through the process of change. By the same token, a renter doesn’t know what to expect until they shift through the process of what it takes to buy a home. For a person who relies on reason and logic, they have to feel something different – a shift is beginning to occur. The catalyst for change takes courage.

“What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly.” --- Richard Bach

CHANGE IS A TRANSFORMATION

During the process of buying a home, a buyer decides more than just what items they want repaired, or what responsibility they are willing to assume – they decide whether or not they call an end to the landlord/tenant relationship or do they want to be the master of their dwelling. 

I watched as the butterfly moved freely from flower to flower and stopped to take the nectar and that's when it hit me, every time I had to make a change in my own personal life, I was afraid of whether or not I could land successfully.  Transitioning into the unknown requires risk. Taking that leap of faith takes courage and just like the caterpillar who moves out of the cocoon and transitions into a butterfly, people need to trust their instict and the ones who are on their journey.

A REALTOR® plays a crucial role, so does the Home Inspector and the Lender. But it's the buyer who makes the ultimate decision. For a buyer to decide to relinquish the place where they are living for something different means they have to be willing to let go of the familiar, losing their comfortable routine, in exchange for something more appealing. In essence, giving up control and be willing to accept change takes a lot of courage. 

My eyes shift back to the butterfly in my photograph and I am gently reminded of the catalyst for change. I'm no longer in Maine, today I'm in the Chicago area, near the place where I once lived, reflecting, reminscing, thinking about how freely that butterfly transitioned from a caterpillar to a higher species called the butterfly. I am reminded once again that Maine was the catalyst for my change from Chicago to Texas. Here is where I transitioned. It took risk and courage. If you are in transition and need to talk about moving, call me, and I'll be there...

BUTTERFLIES ARE FREE