July 2010

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Happy Independence Day, Folks!  If anyone who has ever served in the military and has been overseas in a conflict, war, or just an outpost in any country, you are the few of the American citizens who realize how great this country is and can be when we use our rights, our determination to make things better not just for ourselves but for others (hopefully), and with hard work and gumption and continual education, many of you will go far in this nation.  However, in the end, how faithful you remain to yourself and your goals is how successful you will become.

With a little bit of down time this past week in between two remodeling projects and various showings of a rental property, I got in a chance to read a book by Spencer Johnson titled Who Moved My Cheese? Its a short story and it was a terrific booster for when you might be doubting yourself or some new habits that you have been working on to move forward in your life’s journey.  One of the key points made in the book that struck me the hardest was NOTHING GETS BETTER UNTIL YOU CHANGE.

Now, think about that last statement………..  What hasn’t changed given the current state of the economy, loss of jobs, etc?  IT’S OURSELF!  Many of us didn’t see the signs or choose to ignore them, we didn’t change fast enough when the bottom fell out of our world.  As humans, we hate change.  But change is inevitable.  Change is what keeps us surviving.  Those who don’t, won’t make it.  It is the epitome of Darwin’s theory:  Survival of the fittest.

I always know when we have to change what we are doing when it comes to working on our real estate investment.  Our first sign is when our income doesn’t increase or when a home or rental we are working on isn’t moving fast enough once the remodeling project is complete.  It is then, when I try to sit us down to re-hash what we could have done better to looking at the outside factors (note: not placing blame on external factors) that may have changed or become different for our area.  Did we study enough?  Did we look at everything that pertains to this property?  Did we blind ourselves with emotions and not remain on track with facts (using your head over your heart)?  Is it us?  Are we current and up to date with trends? ETC.

After a little down time to research our options or read up on the current events, we change.  We try something different.  Its hard and its scary.  I, myself, have a mind that is a little over-active in imagination and I tend to make things scarier and harder than it really is.  Yet, when I can get one part of my body moving and just take action without giving it too much thought on the possibilities, I realize I find it was not so darn bad after all (though I still refuse to jump out of a perfectly good airplane to this day!——Okay, okay—I’m working on it).

Our Fore Fathers signed away their life, taking a chance on forming this great nation for all of us today.  They risked death with their treasonous act.  Many died as a result for our Independence.  Why?  They didn’t like they way things were going.  They took a risk.  They joined forces.  They decided to make a change.


Take time to honor this day of change.  Honor our soldiers past and present.  Unplug, turn a light off, conserve energy and help save a soldier, a country, and most of all our planet.

Crissy and Johnny