We had a blast at this year’s MasterMind in San Diego. 4500 of our favorite Members and their families joined us on opening night for a performance and interview with YouTube sensation, Paul Potts. What an inspiration!

On our first full day, I challenged people to live life without limits and rather than reinvent themselves rediscover the core of who they are and who they’re destined to be. We examined the character qualities of immigrants who came to America and made this country so great:

* Ambition

* Faith

* Perspective

* A Sense of Adventure

* Perseverance

* Drive

* Hard work

Just before lunch, Joe Niego and I released the first editions of our new book Work by Referral. Live the Good Life! And we decided that our audience needed their spirits lifted, a special surprise and a good belly laugh. Check this YouTube clip out and see for yourself.

In the afternoon we heard a spectacular presentation by Nido Qubein who is a living embodiment of the rags to riches American story. We finished the night off by discussing how to simplify our lives – reducing the complexities that cause us so much stress.

On the last day of MasterMind, I took the opportunity to reenergize people about taking control of their finances and the ways to do it. Marcus Buckingham enthralled the crowd with his hilarious stories and anecdotes that reminded us all to rely on our strengths.

In the afternoon, we set five-year goals and built a personal accountability letter of what we will achieve by MasterMind 09 – due to arrive to each attendee 90 days before next year’s event.

I finished up Day 2 by challenging the audience to live life without giving into excuses and to being willing to make personal sacrifices. This was embodied by a surprise visit by Patrick Henry Hughes. Born without eyes and the ability to straighten his limbs, he not only inspired us with incredible renditions of America the Beautiful and Believe, but also stole the entire show with hilarious insights coupled with the world’s greatest attitude.

Someone once told me it’s impossible to shine a light to someone else’s path without lighting your own. I do all these things and organize a program like this to renew and recharge our Members – especially at a time of market instability. And yet the one who comes away most rejuvenated and recharged is me. I’m very thankful I get to do this as my work and so appreciative of all of you who attended.

It’s a good life!

Brian

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same:
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

- Rudyard Kipling

Some say that Rudyard wrote this poem to encourage soldiers in the war. It seems rather applicable for Realtors®, lenders and those working in the service industry in this market.

It’s a good life!

Brian

There’s an old tale about two friends walking through the desert. At some point along their journey they begin to argue and one slaps the other in the face. The friend who was slapped was hurt but didn’t react – instead he silently wrote in the sand the words: “My best friend slapped me in the face today.”

Later on in their travels the two encountered an oasis. They stopped to rest and bathe but the friend who had been hurt got stuck and began to drown. His friend reached out and saved him – dragging him to safety. After recovering he walked to a stone and carved the following words: “My best friend saved my life today.”

Confused, the other asked him, "Why is it that earlier you wrote in the sand yet now you carve in stone?”

The other replied "When we experience hurt from another we should write it down in sand so the winds of forgiveness can blow the memory away. But, when someone does something good for us, we should memorialize it in stone so no wind can erase it."

It can be easy to focus on the pains or challenges we experience in life. But like the character above, I’d rather set the good stuff in stone and let the others blow away in the wind.

It’s a good life!

Brian

 

DESERT PETE by The Kingston Trio

"I was travellin' West a buckskin on my way to a cattle run
Cross a little cactus desert under a hot blisterin' sun
I was thirsty down to my toenails, stopped to rest me on a stump
But I tell ya I just couldn't believe it when I saw that water pump
I took it to be a mirage at first, it'll fool a thirsty man
Then I saw a note stuck in a bakin' powder can
"This pump is old", the note began, "but she works so give'r a try"
"I put a new sucker washer in 'er, you may find the leather dry"|

"You've got to prime the pump, you must have faith and believe"
"You've got to give of yourself 'fore you're worthy to receive"
"Drink all the water you can hold, wash your face, cool your feet"
"Leave the bottle full for others, Thank You kindly, Desert Pete"

"Yeah, you'll have to prime the pump, work that handle like there's a fire"
"Under that rock you'll find some water I left in a bitters jar"
"Now there's just enough to prime it with so dontcha go drinkin' first"
"You just pour it in and pump like mad, buddy, you'll quench your thirst"

"You've got to prime the pump, you must have faith and believe"
"You've got to give of yourself 'fore you're worthy to receive"
"Drink all the water you can hold, wash your face, cool your feet"
"Leave the bottle full for others, Thank You kindly, Desert Pete"

Well I found that jar and I tell ya nothin' was ever prettier to my eye
And I was tempted strong to drink it, cuz that pump looked mighty dry
But the note went on "have faith my friend, there's water down below"
"You got to give until you get-I'm the one who ought to know"
So I poured in the jar and I started pumpin' and I heard a beautiful sound
Of water bubblin' and splashin' up outta that hole in the ground
I took off my shoes and I drunk my fill of that cool refreshing treat
I thank the Lord and thank the pump and I thank old Desert Pete

"You've got to prime the pump, you must have faith and believe"
"You've got to give of yourself 'fore you're worthy to receive"
"Drink all the water you can hold, wash your face, cool your feet"
"Leave the bottle full for others, Thank You kindly, Desert Pete"

"Drink all the water you can hold, wash your face, cool your feet"
"Leave the bottle full for others, Thank You kindly, Desert Pete"

Like the thirsty traveler, you’ve got to give of yourself to get. It’s not about money; it’s about keeping up all the work you are doing to get leads. All the calls, notes and Pop-Bys are your version of priming the pump. And one of these days the referrals will start to flow.

It’s a good life!

Brian

Says that, “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” Wise words from a wise man! Despite the pressures of the market and the demands of clients worried by negative media tales or water-cooler stories, it’s important to stick to the fundamentals and keep your head down. The habits you’ve formed through Working by Referral will help you stay the course and keep your eyes trained on the brighter side of this market adjustment.

More and more, people are looking for a professional to steer them through the maze of information and guide them in the process of buying or selling a home. Yes, they may be more tech-savvy and have access to the tools the Internet provides, but they also want that peace of mind element that only a sales professional can provide. I’ve yet to meet someone who’s clicked on ‘add to shopping cart’ when buying a home!

Positive press reports and inspiring stories are out there so find them and make that your reading material. Commit to doing the best you can with your clients and serve them in such a way that - regardless of outcome - they’ll enthusiastically refer you to those they know.

The motivation Mr. Rohn speaks about we can get from stories, classes, events and those around us…but remember to look inward for those habits that keep you going. Find your own ‘why’ for the work that you do; it will absolutely impact the future of both your business and your life – and no one knows that more than you guys using the Referral Systems every day.

It’s a good life!

Brian

 

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home.

“The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it."

“And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes.” - Chuck Swindoll

Well-said Chuck.

It’s a good life!

Brian

 

There’s a story of identical twins - one a hope-filled optimist who could see no wrong and the other a hopeless pessimist who believed the worst about every situation. The twins’ concerned parents decided to bring them to the local psychologist.

On examining the two boys, the psychologist suggested a plan to balance their personalities. "On their next birthday, put them in different rooms to open their gifts. Be sure the pessimist gets the best toys you can afford and the optimist gets a box of manure."

On the day of the twins’ birthday, the parents carefully followed the instructions and observed the results. As they peeked in on the pessimist, they could heard him loudly exclaiming, "I don't like the look of this computer... I'll bet this iPod will break... Timmy has a bigger toy car than this..."

Tiptoeing across the hall, the parents peered around the door to see the optimist twin throwing the manure up in the air and laughing excitedly: "You can't fool me! With this much manure, there's gotta be a pony here somewhere!"

So how are you looking at your circumstances? Are you complaining about what you have or don’t have? Are you willing to put up with some short-term discomfort for the pony on the other side? It’s your choice. I hope you make the right one.

It’s a good life!

Brian

I heard an incredible aviation tale recently. According to the story, at approximately 4000 feet, pilot Henry Dempsey heard a noise from the rear of the plane and went to investigate. As he did so, turbulence suddenly knocked him against the door, it gave way, and Dempsey fell forward out of the plane.

The co-pilot, realizing something was wrong from the ‘door ajar’ warning lights, called in a Coast Guard search mission, changed course and landed at a nearby airport. All this time, however, he never realized that as the pilot fell forward, he had clung to the door – literally for life. As the plane touched down, Dempsey was suspended upside-down with his face just 12 inches from the ground. He had held on so tight, the fire dept had to pry his fingers loose.

So for all of us working through the turbulence of today’s market, holding on for dear life is a pretty good strategy. Renew your focus on the lead-generation activities and stay so committed to your business it'll take the fire department to pry your fingers from it.

It’s a good life!

Brian

I talked to three women in the last ten days who are all Members of our ClubNet Coaching program. Each has been with us many years and all have two things in common at this time:

1) Each is fighting for their life as the disease of cancer wages war on their bodies.

2) Each has an attitude and a spirit that is not only inspiring, but also quite humbling to come into contact with.

I hate to admit it, but I called each one of these ladies to make their day. I know these folks hold me in high regard and because of the nature of my schedule it’s very difficult for me to take time to call folks. So as I dialed each number, I was praying for words of wisdom and encouragement that would truly brighten their day. Each time I hung up the phone, however, it was I who was inspired…inspired by their attitudes, their hopefulness, and their looking to the future.

“I’ll see you at MasterMind, Brian. I know it’ll be a life-changing event.”

“I’m going to a closing this afternoon before my chemotherapy treatment.”

The truth of the matter is that each one of these gals brightened my day with their indomitable spirit, energy and zest for life but I also feel the pang of conviction to be more thankful for my life, my health, my family and for what I do. It’s so easy to get caught up in worries about the market, politics, war and gas prices. In our hearts we know we’re blessed; it’s just so easy to forget it.

So to you three ladies, I thank you. I thank you for your ordinary, everyday example of living the good life and helping me to renew my commitment to treat each day as a gift and for reminding me that all the struggles and challenges of each moment are just part of the joy of the journey.

It’s a good life!

Brian

 

Easy Eddie doesn’t sound like a typical name for an attorney but it makes sense when you understand that Ed was from the south side of Chicago and his unusual law practice had a client of one; Al Capone.

After doing Al’s books and keeping him out of trouble for many years, Al’s business switched from bootlegging booze to the harsher elements of organized crime. Although Easy Eddie had made a series of compromises over the years, he finally decided it was time for him to come clean. He turned state’s evidence and was the primary witness for sending Capone to jail for life. A year later, a Mob hit took out Easy Ed making his choice look like a mistake.

On February 20, 1942, however, Easy Ed’s choice showed up in the character of his son who found himself flying the sole aircraft facing an enemy bomber squadron bound for the USS Lexington. Single handedly, he shot down five bombers and was later awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor - becoming America’s first ace in WWII.

Easy Eddie’s once disgraced last name was O’Hare, but because of the legacy of a principle-based choice, Eddie’s son Butch not only became a hero but is honored to this day by having one of the busiest airports in the world named after him.

The choices we make every day can either compromise our character or build it up, and the impact is not just on the immediate decision but also on the generations to come. May all your choices be good choices this week.

It’s a good life!

Brian