I have seen a lot of movies since first watching "Cars" back in 2007, but very few have impacted me as much as that Pixar classic.  Despite having seen it half a dozen times on rainy afternoons with the kids, I am still pondering the message left in my heart about the value of "the journey" in life. 

In case you haven't seen it, the main character is Lightning McQueen, a rookie race car who is well on his way to stardom and success in the racing world.  He is brash and a do-it-aloner, having fired several crew chiefs throughout the season.  The complication comes when he is lost in the desert at a small town where he gets into trouble and forced to do community service for the key week leading up to the championship race.  

Bear with me here.  After McQeen gets to know the quirky characters in the town and sees their love for each other, he begins to realize his moral bankruptcy and the relative unimportance of "success" in the world.  In the end, he makes several critical choices to change his heart and redirect his life towards his new friends.  His success is ultimately in an act of unselfishness in the big race, which leaves the audience cheering.

OK, so I was explaining this to my sons, how your friends and family matter more than the chasing of fame and fortune, as it were.  Then I began to apply this to my life.  I spend lots of time chasing after sales, positioning myself within the marketplace and seeking to outperform the next agent.  All well and good, but am I missing the things that truly matter?  I'm devoted to my family but do I really care about the real relationships I create with strangers?  Am I aware of how my busyness projects onto my own family at times?  We cherish our database, but do we see them as humans?   

I would suggest that our journey as businessmen and women is made up, at its core, of the people we connect with and that we should think about how we act towards them.  I'm guilty of reducing my clients to numbers (3% commission, 2 touches a month, 1 anniversary card a year etc) and need to think of ways I can MATTER in their lives.  Can I help them with financial or personal needs when it counts?  Can my network be of service when it matters?  I'm thinking about how I can make my real estate business a contributor to families.  That's where real life and business truly intersect.

If you haven't stopped long enough to enjoy "Cars" I hope you will soon.

 For Lancaster PA homes for sale click here. Jeff Geoghan is a top real estate expert in Lancaster County, PA, and an involved community member. Jeff's work has been featured in the Lancaster Newspapers, WGAL Channel 8, PA Business Journal and Wall Street Journal. Jeff's blog on Lancaster County and its homes is nationally-featured. Contact Jeff for more help with your Lancaster PA Real Estate needs. Jeff is also a photographer - view some of his lancaster pa photography portfolio. Comments are welcome!