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Expect to be surprised!

By Barry Owen

Real Estate Broker/Owner with Pareto Realty TN #251071

January 16, 2019 06:32 AM

Some people don’t like to be surprised.

That’s a tough spot they put themselves in, because odds are good that surprises are gonna happen whether we like them or not.

Being attached to preconceived outcomes is tantamount to setting yourself up for disappointment and maybe even FAILURE!

You might say: “THIS is MY plan which I will execute flawlessly and complete precisely per the specs and time allotted.”

Guess what?

Have your forgotten or are you in denial about Murphy?

While I acknowledge that we humans have A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. abilities to visualize an outcome, make a plan, and execute that plan we must keep in mind the most probable truth . . . Seldom does anything of significance happen in strict accordance of the plan.

Surprises can be great . . . After all, the creation of the post-it note was a HUGE surprise to the Leadership of 3M (click the link for the whole story).

Surprises are surprising, and we must embrace them because they teach us useful things.

Surprises teach us that we are not in full control all of the time (if ever).

Surprises teach us to be open to possibilities instead of being bounded by impossibilities.

Surprises give us permission to be wrong – not as a bad thing . . . as a learning tool.

Surprises are myriad as relationships unfold . . . every person is a veritable Pandora’s box full of endless discoveries that can only show up when we are willing to practice interpersonal exploration.

So . . . Let hair down!

Expect to be SURPRISED!

About Barry Owen

Strategist-CEO of Pareto Realty Real estate sales Professional Inviter-Facilitator-Practicer of Open Space Technology Opening safe space for people & organizations to self-organize around issues & opportunities BarryOwen.US Invite-Listen-Love

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William Feela

WHISPERING PINES REALTY - North Branch, MN

Realtor, Whispering Pines Realty 651-674-5999 No.

I am surprised most everry day. Sometime it is good and other times not so much

Jan 16, 2019 08:21 AM

Francine Viola

Coldwell Banker Evergreen Olympic Realty, Olympia WA - Olympia, WA

REALTOR®, In Tune with your Real Estate Needs

I'm with William Feela on this - I would prefer just the good surprises! I could do without the bad ones (and yes, I know there is learning to be had in the bad ones!).

Jan 16, 2019 01:24 PM

Kathy Streib

Cypress, TX

Home Stager/Redesign

Hi Barry- we never know what is around the corner for us but if we learn to expect to be surprised then I think we can handle it much better.!

Jan 19, 2019 01:14 PM

Jan 19, 2019 07:32 PM

Sheila Anderson

Referral Group Incorporated - East Brunswick, NJ

The Real Estate Whisperer Who Listens 732-715-1133

Good morning Barry. Surprises do happen and in my experience happen often. Better to embrace them.

Jan 20, 2019 05:17 AM

Dorie Dillard Austin TX

Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX

NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Good morning Barry Owen ,

I'm so glad that Kathy Streib featured your post in her "Ah-ha" Moments for the week! Always better to embrace those surprises that often occur......you never know where they will lead you and what you will learn from them.

Jan 20, 2019 05:26 AM

Debb Janes

Nature As Neighbors - Camas, WA

Put My Love of Nature At Work for You

One of my favorite aspects of real estate is how you just never know when something unexpected is going to pop up - and it often does. I enjoy dealing with surprises, for the most part. Am I weird? Lol.

Jan 20, 2019 08:03 AM

Marte Cliff

Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID

Your real estate writer

Some surprises are not good or bad, but merely inconvenient. For instance, the surprise I gave myself an hour ago when I dropped an egg in a spot where it took me ten minutes to clean up the mess.

Jan 20, 2019 12:08 PM

Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker

Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA

Put 40 years of experience to work for you

This is especially good advice in Hawaii. Just never know when a cockroach will run across my kitchen floor, a gecko will poke his head out on AC vent, or a centipede will curl up and die on the front porch, or a bird will fly in your house, or a turkey will trot into your garage, or the electricity will go out, or the water will get shut off or you'll get a ballistic missile warning on a quiet Sunday morning on your cellphone or a volcano will erupt.

Jan 20, 2019 12:21 PM

Chris Ann Cleland

Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA

Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

What fun would daily life be without surprises? Even the bad surprises make you appreciate a day to day norm more.

Jan 20, 2019 04:10 PM

Jan Green - Scottsdale, AZ

Value Added Service, 602-620-2699 - Scottsdale, AZ

HomeSmart Elite Group, REALTOR®, EcoBroker, GREEN

And managing expectations for those surprises is very important! Great post Barry. It's always wise to stay on top of what a client might experience.

Jan 22, 2019 11:22 AM

Jeff Dowler, CRS

eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA

The Southern California Relocation Dude

Hi Barry

Oh, my, yes there are surprises in life and in business and you just never know when they might appear! They can be frustrating, scary, annoying, a good learning experience, and so much more.

Jeff

Jan 25, 2019 08:57 PM

Expect to be surprised!

Some people don’t like to be surprised.

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