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Your Choices In Life Steer Your Boat

By Gary Woltal

Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty 0575737

July 29, 2008 05:55 AM

Choices In discussing the parameters of what a buyer wants in a home it reminded me of all the other choices we make in life. The decisions we make really do impact us long term, so we should give careful consideration in areas like whom we marry, what home we buy, what job we take, what school district we live in, what food we eat.

But the hard cold reality is that life is all about choices. Think about women that work in home based offices. They are taking care of their kids and not sacrificing with day care. How about men that are breadwinners but work "too" much and maybe travel on the road and miss kid's birthdays and special events? Choices affect others. It is obvious but not always easy that we need to fully assess the consequences of our choices. Time passes so quickly and is insensitive to our dreams, plans and own needs. What will your future days be filled with? Being a positive one I would suggest we all try to make choices that give us MORE of the following:

Accomplishment, whatever is important to you in this area

Positive Memories

Sharing with and Giving to others

Reaching for new possibilities

Acceptance

Forgiveness

Adventure

Hope

and especially, "Love."

Our choices reflect our outlook on life. I call it "connecting the dots into the future."

Whether you judge something to be a problem or opportunity says more about you than about the situation. The way you choose to see the world is the way the world will be for you.

Good luck to you with all your choices. For Your Choices In Life Steer Your Boat. So break that boat out of the bottle and grab hold of that rudder and let the wind fill your sails. Full Speed Ahead.

Schooner In Bottle

Comments(22)

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Bo Hussung

Bell Title /Triserv LLC - Nashvle, TN

Gary, The irony of the boat in the bottle is that it took an optimist to get it in. Great post. thanks

Jul 29, 2008 09:45 AM

Jesse Clifton

Jesse Clifton & Associates - Fairbanks, AK

Gary.... I've been doing just this for the past few weeks. Life is indeed all about choices and we made the decision to enjoy more of life. Get out there and have fun. After all, all work and no play makes for a dull Jesse... and we can't have that now can we? :)

Jul 29, 2008 10:16 AM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Dean: You are so right about this. Attitude is EVERYTHING in your approach to life.

Bo: That ship in the bottle has always been a mystery to me.

Jesse: No dull YOU's allowed. I'm on board with that. Kind of would be an oxymoron in your case : ) Glad you got your priorities in order. I would expect nothing less from your fine self.

Jul 29, 2008 10:35 AM

Dan Woodworth

The Connection - Garden City, ID

Encouraging Communicator

Hi Gary, The ability to choose is the greatest gift given to each of us! I love to choose the BEST, not the worst; the BEAUTIFUL, not the ugly and things to PRAISE, not things to curse! :-)

Jul 29, 2008 12:01 PM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Dan: You have the same focus I have. Do not even think of the negative choices to pick from. There are enough good ones to work on.

Jul 29, 2008 12:33 PM

Sondra Meyer:

EXP Realty, LLC - Corpus Christi, TX

See It. Experience It. Live It.

Gary....I'm surprised this post hasn't gotten more comments. I wonder if it is because, not only were some of us busy earlier in the day --- but it is a lot easier to think about who our heros are versus whether we are making good choices. The right choices. Do our choices reflect our priorities?

I like the fact that your posts have the ability to make me stop and think. This is one such post. Thanks!

Jul 29, 2008 03:50 PM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Sondra: I guess no one wants to think about their choices because of all the bad ones we make LOL. Thanks for rescuing this one with another comment. It wasn't quite an orphan post but it was lonely and needed a little love. Time of day I think affects sometimes the number of comments. I just write them and place them up there whenever I get the chance. If people are interested fine, if not I'll write something else the next one up to bat. People I think should reflect more. The excuse is we all are too busy. But you can make time to stop and think. It's like reading the map before you head out on the road. Decisions sure can take us down different roads depending on the ones we select.

Jul 29, 2008 04:07 PM

Kate Elim

Dockside Realty - Spotsylvania, VA

Realtor 540-226-1964, Selling Homes & Land a

Hi Gary...What is very important is whether you are happy with where you are right now. If you can look back and recognize that you made some wrong choices but those wrong choices brought you here and from here on out you work hard to make the choices that will keep you in this good spot.

We can't change the choices we have made but we can improve our ability to make healthy choices in the future.

Take care,

Kate

Jul 29, 2008 05:30 PM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Kate: I very much like your living in the present philosophy. All the past is over and we should honor it for the good and the bad, but today is what we can shape. Good point.

Jul 29, 2008 05:37 PM

Pam Pugmire

Silvercreek Realty Group - Meridian, ID

Meridian Idaho Real Estate

To this day I still remember a Sunday School lesson I was taught when I was 8 years old at our church in Eagle, Idaho. Our teacher taught us that every choice we make comes with consequences. We get to pick the choices we make, but once we make them, we are stuck with the consequences that are tied to that choice!!! That has proved to be a valuable lesson in my life.

Jul 29, 2008 06:09 PM

Chris Ann Cleland

Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA

Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

Gary: We really don't think about the small choices we make everyday. My husband has shared with me how some of the most seemingly inconsequential have hurt his feelings. Picking up the phone to call a friend when I've been working all day, instead of sitting down to talk with him. It's easy to take people for granted. We have to aware of all of our choices and know how they do affect those around us.

Jul 30, 2008 03:11 AM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Hi Pam: Choice linked to Consequences is a great lesson. And when the consequeces start happening you can't undo them, that's why the best choice up front is so important.

Chris Ann: I agree with your husband on the little hurts. ALL of us can have off the cuff comments (snide remarks even) that hurt. We need to be aware of them as our choice of words can sting some time, even if it wasn't intentional.

Jul 30, 2008 03:27 AM

Arina Hanciulescu

RealtyPros - Las Vegas, NV

RealtyPros

Gary, At the end of the day our life is the story of our choices... Good of bad they mold our life and that is "our life story" unedited, unrevised, unmodified ...

Jul 30, 2008 11:31 AM

Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker

Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA

Put 40 years of experience to work for you

And may I point out the men who work at home and the women who are breadwinners? Because none of these roles are gender specific anymore. :) I love your blogs, Gary. I know I can always come here and relax. That you will have something to say that is beneficial and rewarding. Thank you for being you.

Jul 30, 2008 02:34 PM

Elizabeth Ward Small

REALTOR & CEO The 3B Method Seminars - Burlington, NC

Gary, I vote this one for a feature because it is one that everyone really needs to hear! I love AR and respect that everyone has a say but let's be honest...some blogs and even some comments are for the surface only and then others, such as this one...speak to the mind and the heart!

I love the inspiration and thank you for your time in sharing this!

Jul 30, 2008 02:40 PM

Cathy Lee

CL Design Services Home Staging - Danville, CA

ASP, IAHSP, RESA Danville, CA

my motto in life.....LOVE WINS!!

Jul 30, 2008 03:55 PM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Arina: We create our life story as you so aptly put it with our choices.

Elizabeth: Yep, many of the roles have reversed with telecommuting and working at home. Thanks for you kind words about my little ramblings. I keep trying for you Elizabeth. Your stuff is great!! Being ME is easy. It's the only one I know : )

Diane: The positive attitude goes a long way in helping us select the right choices.

Liz: Some things that get featured are mindless, so I won't even comment beyond that, but I see you notice too. Don't try to figure it out, but I appreciate your kind words.

Cathy: Love wins. That is a very good choice.

Jul 30, 2008 04:22 PM

Carol Culkin

Diamond Partners Inc - Overland Park, KS

Overland Park Residential Real Estate

Gary - and, sometimes you never know what choices will lead you in the best direction - in these situations I always let my heart direct me!

Jul 31, 2008 07:28 AM

Patricia Beck

RE/MAX Properties, Inc., ABR, GRI, SRES - Colorado Springs, CO

Colorado Springs Realty

Time does move very fast and sometimes people make choices without thinking about the consequences (good or bad) and before they know it their boat is in the middle of the ocean and they don't know which direction to go! It's important to stop and think about where our boat is headed every so often so we stay on track.

Aug 20, 2008 12:38 AM

Jon Wnoroski

America's 1st Choice RH Realty Co., Inc. - Green, OH

Summit County Realtor

Hi Gary, every decision in life is a "crossroad." We make a choice and then follow that path. If we make those decisions based on our personal values then we are reasonably sure that the path we are taking is the right one.

Aug 20, 2008 12:43 AM