I constantly feel that I am a punching bag for my clients and peers these days. As Realtors, we get stuck firmly in the middle of our clients' problems. Apart from the normal stress of both buying and selling, (which now is exacerbated by our current market conditions and overall difficult times,) we get entrenched in the most personal of situations. From death and divorce to job loss, forced relocations, short sales and foreclosure, it seems as if everyone is constantly yelling in a time when people most need each other. We actually should be trying to work together instead of alienating each other.
Sometimes, when my day feels like it will never finish, my dinner once again grown cold as I try to reassure yet another anxious client, I climb into bed exhausted, emotionally drained and close to tears. The thing that keeps me together is my supportive environment. My husband and family, and my friends (of which nearly all of my clients end up being eventually,) are partly the key. Coupled with a great manager and team, I strive to overcome the constant onslaught of negative news and gloomy people. Not surprisingly, we are prospering, in fact doing better than ever, in spite of what the market does.
I am constantly being asked how I maintain such a positive mindset in today's turbulent economic climate. Certainly these are challenging times for everyone. We are all concerned about what could happen if the financial bailout doesn't work. How will people buy homes when lenders have limited funds? How many more people will lose their jobs? As a result, how many more will face foreclosure? While we cannot control what the markets and the government do, the one thing we can all control is our mindset.
I have a customer who is a Wall Street banker and has been exceedingly worried about selling a property which they have already lost a significant amount of money on. His wife called last night in tears, stressed and upset at hearing that the market had made yet another significant drop that day, and that several of their friends and colleagues had lost their financial jobs. As we talked, I explained that when I need things to happen, I write down what I want. Surprisingly, things very often fall into place when we clarify what we need and control our mindset.
One of the most powerful ways to control your mindset is to control your environment. Surrounding yourself with people that care about you and will do all they can to help is a great way to start. Buckminster Fuller, the inventor of the geodesic dome, once said, "Environment is stronger than will." Therefore, if you surround yourself with people who only see the worst in every situation and you listen to the negative news around you, your environment will support you to attract negative events. Psychologists call this a “self-fulfilling prophecy.” What you concentrate on and what you expect will happen can lead to actions that cause it to happen.
Never underestimate how much your environment can influence your life. I am always telling my clients and peers that I am the person I am because I "Always look on the bright side of life!" Albeit straight out of Monty Python’s “Life of Brian,” it works. While many of us attempt to use willpower to accomplish what they feel needs to happen, they seldom think about the role our environment plays. However, without a supportive environment, willpower will eventually run out of steam. Find something, anything, that is positive and focus on it. Surround yourself with positive, optimistic people. You'll be surprised how life will change for the better.
Oh and the Wall Street Banker and his wife got a really good offer on their home today!