I'm one of the few crazies who wake up at 5am to run the tree covered, dark morning trails of beautiful Kingwood TX. With a full work schedule and a family of 7 it's the only time I have if I want to run. My goal is to qualify for the Boston Marathon this January.
A few weeks ago I discovered a new 11 mile loop and was excited to show it to my wife on our regular Saturday morning run together. This particular loop includes several turns and if you're not careful, you can easily shorten or significantly lengthen the run. During our Saturday run with plenty of light we missed virtually every turn.
On Monday I went back out and ran my 11 mile loop at 5:30am in the dark. I did so with great ease, not missing a turn. During the run I realized that the difficulty of running with no light had sharpened my vision and significantly increased my awareness. Street lights from a distance and back patio lights to homes along the trails were my signals of junctions where I should make turns. Even the way the stars shone through as the dark trail opened up from the canopy of trees at turn locations gave me direction. I then realized the ease of running the trail in full light had made me lazy.
In life the most difficult of situations give me opportuntiy to focus on the trail I'm running. When all my attention is focused on a difficult goal my vision is sharpened and I am able to accomplish my goals. The errors I make are when things come too easily to me.
The 4th quarter of every year proves difficult for many of us in Real Estate. We have the holidays to contend with, kids are in school, elections around the corner, and most significantly, the self-fulfilling prophesy that Real Estate sales will slow. I urge those with a will to fight to sharpen your vision today. Make this 4th quarter the best quarter of the year. When others are giving up work harder, spend more dollars on marketing efforts, increase phone calls to our sphere, knock doors in our farming areas, improve our Open House showings, implement new marketing programs, and ultimately increase our share of the pie.
The path to success is often dark and lonely. The finish line however is a thrill to cross and often lined with friends and family.
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