Allow A Positive Attitude To Shape Your Actions

My father is a healthy 93-year living on his own.

Approximately two years after my mother died in 1994, he remarried, sold the family home and moved into his new wife's home in the country.

Early last year his second wife died. My father chose to continue to live in his late wife's home—alone. Relatives, neighbors and friends keep an eye on him, helping with cooking and household chores. He continues to drive his own car in daylight hours and good weather.

A Realistic & Positive Attitude

Certainly it's remarkable that given his age and the recent loss of his second wife, my father lives alone.

However, for me what even more remarkable, is his consistently realistic and positive attitude. Regardless of what adversity that he faced, my father accepted the reality of the situation.

Having accepted many factual realities of life, his overall positive approach lessened the impact of negative situations. It also enhanced the enjoyment of more positive circumstances.

What's truly interesting is that my father has never been a 'student of success'.

His positive and realistic attitude is simply part of who he is—it's not something he has learned from reading or taking courses. Without conscious effort on his part, he has managed to walk the 'healthy-attitude talk' of success gurus and motivational trainers alike.

My father spent his entire working life as a factory laborer. But his healthy attitude is a good model for all of us, whether real estate agent or simply some one who wants to be more successful.

Don't Waste Emotional Energy

By accepting the reality of factual situations, we don't waste emotional energy worrying about what happened.
We can't change events that have occurred. Despite the most positive of attitudes, my father could not change the reality of the death of each spouse.

What my father's positive attitude did influence was his response to the crises.

Certainly the loss of each wife was very hard on him and he still misses both. But at some point, his inherent positive attitude directed his actions.

After the loss of my mother, he got on with his life, eventually remarrying and changing residences. And after the loss of his second wife, he got on with living his life, that time alone.

From a marketing perspective, local real estate markets and national economies continue to shift and change.

Like it or not, those are facts that neither you nor I can change despite our positive attitudes. (You do have a generally positive attitude don't you?)

Reconnect With Clients & Contacts

Let's not waste emotional energy worrying about changing market conditions. Instead, allow your positive attitude to shape appropriate responses.

Try reconnecting with your clients and contacts. Tell them about local trends and developments and how these factors might influence their decision to buy or sell a home.

If you have not yet formed your own opinion, do some more research.

You can also try connecting with strangers or people you don't interact with. What do they know and think about the current market situation?

Certainly keeping in touch with clients is always beneficial. It enhances your relationship with these people, encouraging repeat business and referrals.

Similarly, contacting strangers increases your sphere of influence, facilitating referrals.

Do Something

But the true value of these activities is that you are doing something.

Not only are you continuing to work on growing your business, you will feel better about yourself and your business.

Doing nothing allows your attitude to fixate on the situation, making it seem worse than it is. This will really drag you down and make it more difficult to do the things you must do to succeed.

When faced with a negative, or seemingly, negative situation, recognize the power of a positive attitude. And allow this attitude to help you do something that is both positive and productive.