For me, thankfulness is eating the hay and leaving the sticks. If a horse has enough sense to 
only eat the hay and leave the sticks, surely intelligent people like us should be able to do the same, right? What does this have to do with real estate and life? Lots.
I've been very open about my history and family from my childhood to the current day. I learned something at each phase of my life that has helped me be a better person today. For instance, my bio-dad was an incredible auto-mechanic. Unfortunately for him, he was too good. If he didn't like something in the garage he worked in, he would quit and pick up the phone and have a new job in the morning. Everybody wanted him.
What he didn't know at the time in his life was he was an entrepreneur. Down deep inside he had that entrepreneurial gene, but he didn't know what that was or how to capitalize on it. His ability to leave one job at 3:00 pm and start a new job at 8:00 am the next day was uncanny. It also cost him his marriage.
My step-dad didn't have any of those skills. As a matter of fact, he was down right unhandy. I would never ask him to fix something for me. He just didn't have the skills, but, he was one of the nicest people you could ever meet. He treated people with dignity and respect, and he was committed to his job. I can only remember him missing a day or two in his 28 year career at his job.
The hay in these two relationships are skill and relations. My bio-dad didn't have great relations with his employers, but he had skills. My step-dad didn't have great mechanical skills, but he did have strong people skills. My goal in life has been to have the skill-set of my bio-dad (hay) and leave his poor employee skills behind (sticks). I also want to have more of my step-dad's great people skills (hay) and leave his lacking mechanical skill-set (sticks) behind.
All of us have hay and stick examples in our lives. Life will present you with examples, both good and bad. It's your choice to pick the right one. It really is up to each individual to choose the hay and leave the sticks. I am grateful for both of these men and their contribution to my life. They were both unique men with varied talents. I hope to be a great example of their strengths and not their weaknesses.
2018 Gratitude Posts - 8
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