Especially in these times, sometimes keeping your chin up and re-confirming your confidence and belief in what you are doing is more important than reading guidelines and going through your to-do list.  Four weeks ago, I decided to visit the same 10 real estate offices once every Tuesday and drop off something in their office with my name and/or picture on it.  I simply walk in, "litter" at the front desk and walk out.  Each time, it has only been an hour-and-a-half of driving around (not a lot of time out of my day).  Suffice it to say, this past Tuesday, the 'ole engine was just not firing up.  Here were my thoughts why I did not want to do this:

1)  I didn't have time this week because I was too busy.  I have 2 seminars this week and I just didn't have the time.

2)  There is barely anyone ever in these offices and I know that the lady at the front desk is just throwing my stuff out so this is just a waste of time.

3)  I'm sick of the grind and chasing people and who knows, it's about hitting the "right" people so maybe I have picked the wrong 10.

4)  This industry is dead and who am I fooling thinking that this is going to work.

  So I'm laying in bed and I remembered this story, I think of it all the time and it never stops firing me up:

  I graduated from Normandy High School, a nice high school on the south side of Cleveland where I wrestled.  I was never anything great, but I believed that I could achieve more and that I wanted to be around other people who shared my goals, so I decided to go to the #1 wrestling school in the country -- Oklahoma State University.  In the first couple of weeks of practice, I'm working out with my teammate T.J. Jaworsky (who, by the way, ended up winning 3 NCAA titles (you could say that he was decent)).

  So I'm working out with T.J. just getting the daylights beaten out of me.  I was never beaten this bad in my life and he was hammering me.  I was laying on the mat feeling sorry for myself, my eyes were welling up with tears, I was questioning whether or not everyone was right and maybe these guys were out of my league and boy, was I feeling sorry for myself.  The whole time, TJ is using my face as a mop just cleaning the mats.

  Suddenly, Kenny Monday, one of my coaches, throws TJ off of me and grabs my whole body and picks me up, standing me on my feet.  Kenny, by the way, won an Olympic Gold medal in 1988 and an Olympic Silver in 1992 and was a 3-time world champion along with 8,000 other awards.  Kenny stood at about 6' tall, 210 pounds with, god knows, no body fat -- he was chiseled out of stone.

  He smacks me in the face and tells me to look at him in a very authoritative, stern voice (I was terrified and yes, I was getting ready to cry my eyes out).  The whole wrestling room stops and it's dead silent.  Coach Monday says this to me -- he says, "Get your chin up!  You have 2 choices right now...RIGHT NOW!  You can quit and go back to Cleveland and get the hell out of here OR you can stop feeling sorry for yourself, get your a** up and do something about it!  You fight damn it!  NOW WHAT'S YOUR CHOICE!".

  Honestly, what were my choices?  Quitting was simply not an option -- it simply wasn't.  I put my chin up, stuck my chest out and marched back onto the mat.  I was ready to run through a brick wall and I was gonna' pound TJ.  TJ and I slapped hands, I was fired up and here I come!  Coach Monday said, "Wrestle!".  In about 2 seconds, TJ proceeded to pick me up and slam me on my head again and the beating continued...BUT -- I fought.  I fought.  I fought.  I fought.  Ever since that day, ever since that moment, I have never felt sorry for myself again.

  Today, when the chips are down, I look at my options:  there are only 2 -- I can quit and go home, but that is just not an option...it just isn't; OR, I CAN GET UP AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

  This past Tuesday, I went to 8 offices (2 closed (lol)).  I hit all 8.  And this is the best part -- The broker from one office with 80 agent licenses sat me down and told me that he wants to get an "in-house" lender for his company.  He proceeded to tell me that he was impressed that I have been back every single week and he has seen me coming and going every time.  We spoke for over an hour.  We are meeting next week to discuss options.  How's that?  I didn't want to go.  I had every reasonable reason why I didn't have the time and should not go, and now I might be able to be the "in-house" for a very large office. 

  Even as I type this, my adrenaline is flowing, I'm fired up and I'm ready for today!  I have a seminar today and this is going to be the greatest day for me.  I can't help but say this to Coach Monday -- Thanks Coach for helping me.  It has been 18 years since that September day in 1991, but I could still feel the smack on my chin and I could still hear your voice like it was yesterday.  I didn't know it then, but you were giving me something that helped way above and beyond that practice on that day.  I will not disappoint you and I will not let you down.  Business might be slow.  The industry might be dead; but today, I am getting up and I am going to do something about it.  Thanks Coach!