Are you thankful that you’re a real estate professional?
I hope so. Whether you’re an agent, a broker, a stager, an inspector, a lender, an investor, or someone’s assistant, I hope this is the best job you’ve ever had and that you give thanks every day for whatever circumstances led you to it.
I hope you look back on other occupations you’ve had and think: “I’m so glad I chose this path.”
Today is Thanksgiving – the day we “officially” give thanks for all the good things in our lives.
But why only today? Thankfulness is something we should practice every day of the year, because no matter what kinds of challenges we face, we all have much to be thankful for.
All of us who are privileged to live in this great country do. And those of us who have a roof over our heads, clothes to wear, good food to eat, and a computer to play on have even more reason to be thankful. Of course we should also be thankful for eyes to read the screen, brains with which to process what we see, and fingers to use on our keyboards. And that’s just the beginning.
The truth is, though, that sometimes we fall out of the habit of thankfulness.
We focus on what’s going wrong instead of what’s going right, we pay attention to what we don’t like instead of what we do like. We don’t even notice the good stuff – and that’s a huge mistake.
We live in abundance, but too often focus on what we don’t yet have.
I speak from experience, because I spent (wasted) several years of my life whining about unimportant things. When I look back now, I think “How stupid.”
Sometimes even now I get caught up in thinking about something I don’t like. The difference is, I’ve learned to tell myself to “Stop that! Think a better thought!” I can’t pretend it works every time, but I keep trying!
Why not let now be the time to focus on thankfulness?
Perhaps you already have. If so – wonderful. It means you’re living in even greater abundance and finding joy in your life.
But if not – if you still focus on the things you don’t have; the deals that fell through; or the past clients who turned out not to be loyal – make a conscious effort to turn that around.
If you’re having a hard time right now, either personally or professionally, you might be saying “I have no reason to give thanks.” It simply isn’t true. So today, stop and turn your eyes toward all of the things you can appreciate.
- for the fact that you can walk, talk, hear, see, read, write, and understand the complexities of a real estate transaction.
- Give thanks for the transactions that closed.
- Give thanks for the clients who come back again and again – and who send you referrals.
- Give thanks for the privilege of helping people realize their goals.
- Give thanks for the people in your life – even if they might be giving you a hard time right now.
Then give thanks for all the things we all take for granted – like electricity and running water in your home. If you take the time to look around you, you’ll see a multitude of things for which you can be grateful.
Next time you step under a hot shower, think about all the people whose work went into providing that hot water to your home. How about the people who created all the building materials and then put them all together to turn them into a house? Give thanks for every one of them.
You can do the same when you walk into your kitchen and look at all the appliances you use and take for granted each day. When is the last time it occurred to you be thankful you have a refrigerator?
Why is it so important to feel thankful?
Because we get what we “feel about.” Does that sound silly? It’s not, because all of life is vibration, and our feelings not only cause our vibrations, but attract more just like them.
What will happen if you begin to practice thankfulness and gratitude?
Amazing things. It’s a well-documented fact that the more we appreciate what we have, the more we will have to appreciate. That’s the Law of Attraction, and whether you believe in it or not, it does work.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
“You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you”
Sarah Ban Breathnach
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“Be grateful for what you already have while you pursue your goals.
If you aren’t grateful for what you already have, what makes you think you would be happy with more.”
Roy T. Bennett
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“Faith is trusting in the good
Fear is putting your trust in the bad.”
—from The Secret Daily Teachings
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“To worry is to pray for what you do not want.”
Abraham
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Do I practice what I preach?
Absolutely. I begin and end each day by giving thanks for things both large and small.
Right this minute I’m feeling thankful that I get to write this letter each week – and that thanks to the Internet and email, it gets to people who actually read it!
Since you’ve read this far, thank you!
And then…
- I’m thankful for the readers who send me notes and let me know that I’ve helped them in some way.
- I’m thankful for all the agents who trust me to write bios and other custom copy for them, and for all those agents and investors who purchase my prospecting letter sets.
- I’m thankful for the ability to read and write. And I’m thankful for sites like Grammar Girl that help me when I have a question about proper usage.
- I’m thankful for my family and friends – including the furry, 4-legged ones.
- I’m thankful that everyone in my family is healthy.I could go on and on, but I’ll leave it up to you to think about all the reasons you can be thankful today – and every day.
Wishing you gratitude, joy, and prosperity,
marte@copybymarte.com
Happy Thanksgiving Image courtesy of Becris at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Smiling sunshine and computer key courtesy of Stuart Miles @freedigitalphotos.net