When I was in my twenties, I owned a one hundred acre farm. I had three small girls, A wife I loved very much and life was good. I had a full time job working in a factory and farmed on the side.The house was a nice ranch style with a full basement, and a family room with a fireplace on the back of the house overlooking a two and one half acre lake. Our fields rose gently from the pond into rolling acres.
I was disking the fields one late afternoon and as the sun started setting, and darkness began creeping on me, The lights in the house came on .I instantly realized that those lights represented everything good in my life. Although It was in the fall and the darkness also brought icy cold. The warmth security and love that surrounded me, were brought to consciousness with the burning of some simple light bulbs. Because I knew that in that house with the lights on, were the family, I loved and who loved me.
I am now at A point in my life where children are all off and married. Building lives of their own. So many things have changed,. Farms sold, loved ones have died, And love that you hoped to replace love lost, leave you for no good reason.I hope to find love and happiness again,I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to see that light in the windows .Will I ever see it again?Yes I think I will, And I am Looking foreward to it.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
When You're Hot You Are Visionary
WHEN YOU'RE HOT
I read somewhere that "opportunities are present for all of us however only a few recognise them and even fewer act on them."This being said ;what do we need to do ,to recognise these vast opportunities,and take advantage of them ? I will tell you a little story of what happened to me once upon a time.
I was working for A. R .C. realty now defunct in South Ft. Myers. The whole office consisted of renegades from Remax that wanted a true 100% office so they hired a secretary and everyone paid office fees their own telephone and we had one guy Wayne Kelly who was Broker of record. Most everyone in the office was Cyprus Lake alumni' everyone had gone to school together and known each other forever except me. Ole Harvey Younquest made everything work as he had inventory So I was on fire,selling metro at a dollar a square ft.Well Harvey had sold most of Youngquest Road off I think I sold eight sites.I Was down there one day, when a pickup stopped me and the guy driving asked who owned a particular piece as they were doing work on old 41 and needed a place to get rid of a bunch of busted up concrete didn't know at the time but I got his number and told him I would find out. It turns out Harvey still owned it and had used it to procure the fill for the roads . I asked him about the zoning and he said Hey its all light industrial,you want to buy it? Harv said it would take to much fill to make it worthwhile for him so, he would sell me that two and a half acre piece for twenty thousand.
I told him I would let him know by five o'clock and got on the phone. How much concrete do you have and what kind of deal are you willing to make? Lets meet back down there. He assured me that he would if given the OK remove the soil fill to building spec.bring a dozer in and level everything and put top soil back on top ---I told him, I would call him at five o'clock. I then drove around the corner stopped in on one of my clients,whom I had sold light industrial lots to in the past and said hop in I want to show you something. We drove to the site and I said; How about If I fill this two and one half acre site to speck bring a dozer in and level it and cover it with top soil so that you can build two 10,000sq. ft. warehouses what would you give me He said a dollar a square ft. I said lets write it up.
I put it under contract with Harv, we closed simultaneously at a title company down town,everyone was happy and I was given a check after closing costs of over eighty thousand dollars.
Keep in mind That I disclosed everything to the person I bought it from,and to my client.Harvey got rid of a junk property, the construction co. saved thousands on trucking of the concrete,and my buyer made a couple hundred thousand on the buildings he had built on the lots and sold.Timing was everything and I didn't have to ask permission.Just did it.
That happened a long time ago, I went on to become a land buyer for Flag development,and now I am back in Ft Myers where I started. I do know that attitude and visualization of your end goals will make you HOT.And like Jerry Reid says" when your'e hot YOUR HOT."
I read somewhere that "opportunities are present for all of us however only a few recognise them and even fewer act on them."This being said ;what do we need to do ,to recognise these vast opportunities,and take advantage of them ? I will tell you a little story of what happened to me once upon a time.
I was working for A. R .C. realty now defunct in South Ft. Myers. The whole office consisted of renegades from Remax that wanted a true 100% office so they hired a secretary and everyone paid office fees their own telephone and we had one guy Wayne Kelly who was Broker of record. Most everyone in the office was Cyprus Lake alumni' everyone had gone to school together and known each other forever except me. Ole Harvey Younquest made everything work as he had inventory So I was on fire,selling metro at a dollar a square ft.Well Harvey had sold most of Youngquest Road off I think I sold eight sites.I Was down there one day, when a pickup stopped me and the guy driving asked who owned a particular piece as they were doing work on old 41 and needed a place to get rid of a bunch of busted up concrete didn't know at the time but I got his number and told him I would find out. It turns out Harvey still owned it and had used it to procure the fill for the roads . I asked him about the zoning and he said Hey its all light industrial,you want to buy it? Harv said it would take to much fill to make it worthwhile for him so, he would sell me that two and a half acre piece for twenty thousand.
I told him I would let him know by five o'clock and got on the phone. How much concrete do you have and what kind of deal are you willing to make? Lets meet back down there. He assured me that he would if given the OK remove the soil fill to building spec.bring a dozer in and level everything and put top soil back on top ---I told him, I would call him at five o'clock. I then drove around the corner stopped in on one of my clients,whom I had sold light industrial lots to in the past and said hop in I want to show you something. We drove to the site and I said; How about If I fill this two and one half acre site to speck bring a dozer in and level it and cover it with top soil so that you can build two 10,000sq. ft. warehouses what would you give me He said a dollar a square ft. I said lets write it up.
I put it under contract with Harv, we closed simultaneously at a title company down town,everyone was happy and I was given a check after closing costs of over eighty thousand dollars.
Keep in mind That I disclosed everything to the person I bought it from,and to my client.Harvey got rid of a junk property, the construction co. saved thousands on trucking of the concrete,and my buyer made a couple hundred thousand on the buildings he had built on the lots and sold.Timing was everything and I didn't have to ask permission.Just did it.
That happened a long time ago, I went on to become a land buyer for Flag development,and now I am back in Ft Myers where I started. I do know that attitude and visualization of your end goals will make you HOT.And like Jerry Reid says" when your'e hot YOUR HOT."
Everything in perspective
I guess the greatest sales trainer I have had the opportunity to learn from was Tom Hopkins .He has certain things that he feels are super important and in his seminars you are required to memorize them one such Idea is -”-I will do the most constructive thing possible at every given moment.” Now that is powerful but how could anyone possibly do that?
The most productive thing for you, would not necessarily be the most productive for me, in fact I would almost bet on it .being productive doesn’t necessarily mean knocking on doors or cold calling ,It can be some much needed rest and recuperation too. I know when the wolf is at the door it is almost a given you are going to working twice the hours, at a frantic pace whoa just a minute :the most constructive thing you may be needing to do, you could be overlooking. Remember your family; Could be a little chill time, could be in order, this summer. A weekend camping trip a couple days at a quiet bed and breakfast, Just enough to get your mind back on perspective and you back in the game .A little fresh air nice surroundings can help you realize what you’ve got, that is really special, can’t be duplicated, and you really wouldn’t want to miss out on. Then when you get back,; unleash the tiger
Dave Shriver.
The most productive thing for you, would not necessarily be the most productive for me, in fact I would almost bet on it .being productive doesn’t necessarily mean knocking on doors or cold calling ,It can be some much needed rest and recuperation too. I know when the wolf is at the door it is almost a given you are going to working twice the hours, at a frantic pace whoa just a minute :the most constructive thing you may be needing to do, you could be overlooking. Remember your family; Could be a little chill time, could be in order, this summer. A weekend camping trip a couple days at a quiet bed and breakfast, Just enough to get your mind back on perspective and you back in the game .A little fresh air nice surroundings can help you realize what you’ve got, that is really special, can’t be duplicated, and you really wouldn’t want to miss out on. Then when you get back,; unleash the tiger
Dave Shriver.
Gratitude Rocks
Gratitude Rocks
Even in trying times try to be a source of good things. Try to cultivate the attitude of thankfulness in your everyday life.
Make a list of things from large to small that you are thankful for every day from the beautiful sunrise, the green light on the way to work, the smile of a co worker, the gifts of your senses sight,smell,touch.Tune in on the beautiful, the fragrant, the pleasant touch, your cats fur,the leather upholstery in your car.
Overwhelm yourself with reasons to be thankful, and then share that feeling by giving. Giving a smile, a phone call to a friend you haven’t talked to in too long, random acts of kindness ,do remarkable things to our attitudes, and it is contagious,it effects people around us and brings out smiles which beget more smiles. I always carry a small flat stone in my left pocket . It is my gratitude rock, whenever I reach in my pocket for my keys I touch it and it reminds me of what it is there for .Gratitude will brighten your day as well as the people around you. It will help you receive the good things in life that you deserve.Gratitude really rocks!
Even in trying times try to be a source of good things. Try to cultivate the attitude of thankfulness in your everyday life.
Make a list of things from large to small that you are thankful for every day from the beautiful sunrise, the green light on the way to work, the smile of a co worker, the gifts of your senses sight,smell,touch.Tune in on the beautiful, the fragrant, the pleasant touch, your cats fur,the leather upholstery in your car.
Overwhelm yourself with reasons to be thankful, and then share that feeling by giving. Giving a smile, a phone call to a friend you haven’t talked to in too long, random acts of kindness ,do remarkable things to our attitudes, and it is contagious,it effects people around us and brings out smiles which beget more smiles. I always carry a small flat stone in my left pocket . It is my gratitude rock, whenever I reach in my pocket for my keys I touch it and it reminds me of what it is there for .Gratitude will brighten your day as well as the people around you. It will help you receive the good things in life that you deserve.Gratitude really rocks!
Cow Boy Real Estate
I always liked working with cattle So I will call this cowboy Real Estate.
For a few years I had the opportunity to take care of some registered Romagnola cattle for a Doctor friend of mine who lives in Brooksville Florida.Romagnolas are a breed of cattle from Italy, which are white, but have dark pigmented skin, are able to thrive in a tropical climate as well as the cold are double muscled fine looking cattle that have all the attributes of the Brahma but are gentle ,really gentle. I taught A bull calf and a heifer calf to be halter broke so that we could take them to Houston Texas for the Houston livestock show. Whenever we were to work cattle Dr Bounds would line up some help and ask me what time I was going to pin the cattle ,so the help would be there ,Well after the first Rodeo that we had I learned to tell him a half hour later than when I was actually going to start. When they showed up all the cows would already be all penned up.
What I had learned was that you could get a bunch of guys to come in there with horses and hoop and holler and chase the cattle around and pen them in two hours, and have the cattle totally stressed out; or I could go out with a bucket with a few rocks in it to make noise and I could lead the cattle into the pens in fifteen minutes. And when everyone showed up they would all be calmly munching on hay in the pens.
Working with your people helping them find the home that is just right for them, Is the same, as penning cattle. All the fast talking,tamborine shaking, drum pounding high pressure antics, will make them run in circles not sure where to go afraid at every step, and totally stressed to the max.What they need is ---Soft quiet reassurance, leading them to make the decision they want to make,---that Is what they are desperately crying out for. Lead with self confidence and they will follow you anywhere.
David Shriver http://davidshriver.net
For a few years I had the opportunity to take care of some registered Romagnola cattle for a Doctor friend of mine who lives in Brooksville Florida.Romagnolas are a breed of cattle from Italy, which are white, but have dark pigmented skin, are able to thrive in a tropical climate as well as the cold are double muscled fine looking cattle that have all the attributes of the Brahma but are gentle ,really gentle. I taught A bull calf and a heifer calf to be halter broke so that we could take them to Houston Texas for the Houston livestock show. Whenever we were to work cattle Dr Bounds would line up some help and ask me what time I was going to pin the cattle ,so the help would be there ,Well after the first Rodeo that we had I learned to tell him a half hour later than when I was actually going to start. When they showed up all the cows would already be all penned up.
What I had learned was that you could get a bunch of guys to come in there with horses and hoop and holler and chase the cattle around and pen them in two hours, and have the cattle totally stressed out; or I could go out with a bucket with a few rocks in it to make noise and I could lead the cattle into the pens in fifteen minutes. And when everyone showed up they would all be calmly munching on hay in the pens.
Working with your people helping them find the home that is just right for them, Is the same, as penning cattle. All the fast talking,tamborine shaking, drum pounding high pressure antics, will make them run in circles not sure where to go afraid at every step, and totally stressed to the max.What they need is ---Soft quiet reassurance, leading them to make the decision they want to make,---that Is what they are desperately crying out for. Lead with self confidence and they will follow you anywhere.
David Shriver http://davidshriver.net
Competence in Your life
Competence
Something almost naturalistic happens whenever the Real-Estate market takes a correction move. It really gets down to the survival of the fittest, or should I say survival of the competent. I feel that I was greatly advantaged to have started out in my Real Estate career on a steady market( of course I was selling Farms and raw land) . My point being ,I was never exposed to the easy money ,the order taking, the I will put you on the waiting list for a Pool home ,that we had only a few years ago. No I didn’t have to walk two miles to school and back in the snow both ways uphill ---But I did have to learn the basics to survive I had to learn to list, I had to learn to handle objections, And yes I had to learn to close. I was also blessed to have a broker who took me under his wing and became my mentor. He stressed sales training and got us involved with training seminars, and had motivational sales meetings once a week. He told me one day” don’t worry about making money selling Real Estate You will never make any money selling ;Real Estate .Where you will make your money and lots and lots of it is in Helping People. Let me repeat You will make your money Helping People. That’s why we are here, that’s the whole Idea, Help people, and you never have to worry about the money. The thing I love about Real Estate is that unlike the automotive industry, Motor homes insurance,mortgage,you name it No other field give us, as great an opportunity to honestly help people become financially secure by leading them with competence.
David Shriver
Something almost naturalistic happens whenever the Real-Estate market takes a correction move. It really gets down to the survival of the fittest, or should I say survival of the competent. I feel that I was greatly advantaged to have started out in my Real Estate career on a steady market( of course I was selling Farms and raw land) . My point being ,I was never exposed to the easy money ,the order taking, the I will put you on the waiting list for a Pool home ,that we had only a few years ago. No I didn’t have to walk two miles to school and back in the snow both ways uphill ---But I did have to learn the basics to survive I had to learn to list, I had to learn to handle objections, And yes I had to learn to close. I was also blessed to have a broker who took me under his wing and became my mentor. He stressed sales training and got us involved with training seminars, and had motivational sales meetings once a week. He told me one day” don’t worry about making money selling Real Estate You will never make any money selling ;Real Estate .Where you will make your money and lots and lots of it is in Helping People. Let me repeat You will make your money Helping People. That’s why we are here, that’s the whole Idea, Help people, and you never have to worry about the money. The thing I love about Real Estate is that unlike the automotive industry, Motor homes insurance,mortgage,you name it No other field give us, as great an opportunity to honestly help people become financially secure by leading them with competence.
David Shriver
Choices
My youngest Daughter (When she was 15 years old)was complemented once by a friends father,( Who also happened to be an attorney) as he said “for her age he was amazed at the number of times she had come to an event in her life where her direction would be directly determined by the choice she made and she always made the right choice“.
I have ran into old friends who look at me and say that they can’t believe how I look . I realize that Not all the time, but some of the time ,They could have looked just as good, Just as healthy. If they would have made a different choice. They would not be in their situation were it not for the choices made. I can look at some one with compassion, and empathy ,however I have a real rough time feeling sorry for someone who has brought grief, poverty and loneliness on themselves because of choices. You can chose to live the bar scene year after year ,Party it up with drugs, however you have to know the toll it will play on your health. It is a choice. Every person has an equal opportunity every day to be pleasant. It is a choice.
I raced Sprint Cars all over the South when the girls were in High School, So we ended up spending more time together than most families have the opportunity . We had lost their Mother when the youngest was four ,So I though it the right thing to do. It was by choice. I told people that I was retiring in my thirties to spend my retirement doing fun things, and then when retirement was over I would go back to work. An Interesting concept. I do hope to retire again some day but It was a choice then ,that I wouldn’t change in a million years. Retiring to sell Real Estate and work my internet marketing business would be I suppose like having your cake and eating it too. Not such a bad thing, Makes me wonder If maybe I had a little to do with all those good choices my Daughter has made.
I have ran into old friends who look at me and say that they can’t believe how I look . I realize that Not all the time, but some of the time ,They could have looked just as good, Just as healthy. If they would have made a different choice. They would not be in their situation were it not for the choices made. I can look at some one with compassion, and empathy ,however I have a real rough time feeling sorry for someone who has brought grief, poverty and loneliness on themselves because of choices. You can chose to live the bar scene year after year ,Party it up with drugs, however you have to know the toll it will play on your health. It is a choice. Every person has an equal opportunity every day to be pleasant. It is a choice.
I raced Sprint Cars all over the South when the girls were in High School, So we ended up spending more time together than most families have the opportunity . We had lost their Mother when the youngest was four ,So I though it the right thing to do. It was by choice. I told people that I was retiring in my thirties to spend my retirement doing fun things, and then when retirement was over I would go back to work. An Interesting concept. I do hope to retire again some day but It was a choice then ,that I wouldn’t change in a million years. Retiring to sell Real Estate and work my internet marketing business would be I suppose like having your cake and eating it too. Not such a bad thing, Makes me wonder If maybe I had a little to do with all those good choices my Daughter has made.
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