I Can’t Read it…
I have a confession. Ok, I probably could make a thousand confessions…but this one might be shocking. I don’t really know why I am so different than most people in this one area….but I know I am. I can’t, and won’t even try anymore, to read a book about self help, business, money, improvement of my finances, parenting, health….life. Nothing. I can’t do it. I lose interest after the first sentence.
You may be thinking I am just not a reader. I just don’t read so maybe if I listened to those books I could enjoy them. Nope. I read at least one novel a week on average. Any given time I will have a dozen or so novels I’d be happy to share with you. I love to read. I have always loved to read. But what I love are STORIES. I love to hear about people’s lives, and I love to step into those lives through a novel.
But I Need some Self Help
And I know I am far from perfect, and I could use so much of the sage advice locked in those self help books, business books, and other books for general improvement…but I can’t seem to care enough about my shortcomings to subject myself to actually reading a book on that topic. If there is a story about someone that made a change in his or her life, due to circumstances I find relatable…THEN I will want to possibly make the same change in myself. It will create in me the drive and the will to want to make a change…one that I can’t get from a book without a story.
As a real estate agent, a self employed business owner, this lack of business book and self help book, and marketing strategies book loving is almost sacrilegious. A fellow agent posted on her Facebook page recently a question about the best books anyone had read recently. I excitedly clicked on her post, ready to tell her about my favorites, but as I read the comments from all of the agents she is friends with I saw very quickly she wasn’t looking for a recommendation on the best novel…she wanted to know what books had changed someone’s life, or business, or marketing, or finances, or goal setting. Blah. Boo. Boring.
But as much as people love to talk about the books that they say changed their lives, and the self help gurus who they follow every word and opinion of…I bet they would also prefer a story. That is why movies, and TV shows, and podcasts like Serial are so popular. We all love the story, even if we are learning while entering the story. We all like to feel a part of, to experience someone else’s experiences. Maybe because we want to step out of our own lives for a moment, or we want a distraction to pass the time.
We all have our own stories. I have so many stories that I could tell you about myself, my life. As I get older, the number of my own stories grow. My interest in other’s stories grows as well. I have more experiences to draw from, more ways I can relate to other people’s stories. I have learned things I didn’t know before about situations and establishments and people, things that I hadn’t considered before . The more stories I hear, the more I care.
Real Estate Stories
We all have stories about real estate. Sometimes they are horror stories, sometimes they are about dreams coming true. Even if they are neither, they are our stories about why we bought this home, or why we sold it. There is always a story….a growing family, a job relocation, a graduation….a marriage. Sometimes the story is about an empty nest, or a lost love. A tragedy, or an adventure. We all have our reasons, and our motivations, and our heartbreaks. Sometimes we are just doing what everyone told us to, but there are always still the personal stories behind that.
Those stories are why I love real estate. I love the stories around homes. Choosing a home, leaving a home, those are both major life events. Sometimes your stop in a home is short and sweet, and sometimes it is a place that you will call home for the rest of your life. You will have your whys, and your hows, and your wants and your needs. Sometimes you aren’t on the same page with everyone in your family, I love to help find your family’s page. It may be a move up, or a move to something smaller. Maybe your family is growing, or maybe your are finding yourself with an empty nest and your next home is for you by yourself. Maybe your need a single level because of an injury, maybe you want to be closer to your child’s school. The reasons are endless…just like the stories in our futures.
I love looking at homes because the stories of the past can be seen sometimes, or sometimes just felt. Why is there that storage space behind the wall at the back of the closet??? What was kept in that secret spot? I also can imagine the future stories that home will hold…usually full of music, dancing, love and friends. My imagination is cool like that. To me, a home is the ultimate way to get the imagination flowing. My poor kids have driven more neighborhoods than I would care to admit…but our conversations are usually lively…imagining who lives there, or how cool we would be if WE lived there! But always, we must choose our favorite home.
What kind of story are you wanting to write for your future? What story is your family needing? What stories are you leaving in a home? Why did you build that loft? Why does your yard have a vegetable garden? What is the best hiding spot in your home? What is the favorite meal you made 100 times in this kitchen? Did your daughter suffer her first heartbreak in this bedroom, or did she fill it with a bunch of giggling girls every Saturday night? Did your son burn the hole in the carpet when he was trying to recreate a science experiment? Did you walk your dog to the dog park from here? Did the walk make you both happier, feel better, and you both made new friends at the park? Are you excited that your kids have finally flown the coop and you get to make choices for your future that are more about you than them? What will you make more time for, and what type of home will help those dreams come true? I really want to know!
No matter the story, I want to hear it. I love stories of people’s lives that I get to play a role in, sometimes as a less important character and other times I get a leading role in a drama filled debacle. If situations are out of our control and need to be steered to calmer waters, I love to be the captain of that ship. Real estate ALWAYS has a story… and that is why I love real estate. I’d love to hear your story and maybe even have a role in your home buying or selling story. Real estate isn’t about me, it’s about You, and your story.
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