Chase the Storm

‘Tis the season for staying in and hibernating…. it’s winter, after all! It’s a time when many of us – in the colder parts of the country – catch up on television and the comforts of home. Bears do it – and we do too. The only thing is …. is there something better we could be doing with our precious time? Yes… precious. Life is short and that makes our time precious, especially when it comes to lifestyle design. It’s key to fill your short life with the things that make your heart ski and your soul soar. Do television and mashed potatoes do that for you? Really?

Ok. What else could you be doing other than making friends with your couch when there’s a blizzard outside? You could – and now, keep in mind, this is a metaphor – chase that storm instead of staying in. You could go after it with all of your heart, your intentions and knowing your future depends upon finding the beauty within it.

When life throws you storms, and it does sometimes, don’t hibernate or run away. Attack the storm. Run after it. Get to know it. Marvel at its beauty. Photograph it. Be in the moment with it. Storms in life, whether it’s a deal that falls through or a sudden loss, are meant to move us. They shake us up. They make us see things anew. We do things a little differently as a result. At best, we admire and learn from storms (when we chase them). At worst, we hibernate and go even further into ourselves. Yikes.

When something goes ‘wrong’ try to think of it differently. It’s a storm. It’s natural. It happens. When something goes really wrong, you’ve got a blizzard on your hands. This too is natural. What matters now is how you deal. Are you going to chase the storm and learn from it? Or, conversely, are you going to hide out at home and not leave for a few months? Are you willing to forget all of your important goals and dreams because something natural (something unavoidable) happened?

Thought so. So not worth it. You’ve got to chase the storm. You’ve got to go after it. You’ve got to embrace it. You’ve got to – and this is key – survive it. You must so that you can thrive.

Key takeaway for real estate investors:
Deals fall through. Price points aren’t always where you want them to be. Tenants turn out to be disasters. In real estate, storms happen. What matters here is that you keep your eye on the prize and trudge on, learning as you go!

Key takeaway for everyone:
Learn to snowboard. Learn to ski. Go sledding. Throw snowballs. And you know what? Document your journey and put it all on instagram! Why not? Be proud of life’s storms and your awesome ability to not only survive them but to thrive through them.

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