Are You Really a Failure, Really?

(By Kevin)

Since many people who make New Year's resolutions tend to give up on them before the end of January I thought it was a good idea to expand upon a quote we shared in October from Mr. Henry Ford. "Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently."

Attitude in life can so often determine your altitude and Henry Ford's quote is one of a great way to illustrate the truth of this statement.

We, as humans are funny, as we get older we view so much of what happens or doesn't happen in our lives as failures.  The truth is, we are always bad before we become good.  The following are some illustrations of this fact.

Think about a person learning to play a musical instrument.  Let's be more specific, think of a child learning to play the violin.  Those early sounds created as they first stroke the violin strings with the bow can be rather interesting, perhaps even painful to listen to.  Are they failing, I say no, read on.

There is a story about Thomas Edison. When asked how he felt about the 10,000 or so failures he experienced while trying to come up with a viable electric light filament he replied he never failed he just discovered 10,000 ways it wouldn't work.  Thank goodness for his attitude and tenacity.  Someone focusing on the "failures" or ways it didn't work, might not have given us the electric light bulb.  I love being able to turn on the lights, don't you?

Now let's consider the toddler learning how to walk.  There are a lot of falls.  Good thing toddlers are built close to the ground.  Adults might view these as falls as failures; however, that toddler is learning a new skill and growing.  The toddler is focused on the goal, not the falls.  

The joy of accomplishing the goal of learning to walk is reflected in the smile on their face when they successfully walk their first few steps. Someday that toddler will run, jump, dance, etc. however, they were bad before they were good.

Somewhere between being a toddler and an adult most people start looking at similar challenges they didn't fully conquer as failures.  I believe that is a learned behavior, not a natural behavior.  So next time we consider criticizing a child or adult for what might be perceived as a failure, such as a squeaky violin, see if you can't phrase any comments so you're talking about a learning experience.  For instance, not all our real estate deals have worked out as planned.  We view these as expensive learning opportunities.  By the way, most of these expensive learning opportunities occurred before we took training or we didn't implement what we were taught properly.  When learning a new skill, it is great to have instructions or a mentor.  Just make sure you are coachable.

My hope in sharing this month's education corner message is that we will all focus more on the goal than the falls. It is a winner's attitude!

Recommended reading on this subject: "Sometimes you Win, Sometimes you Learn" by John Maxwell. 

Industry News  

(by Kevin)

Beware! Dodd-Frank is in Effect

We are working with a company where we specialize in buying property "subject to."  "Subject to" is real estate lingo for the existing financing will stay in place.  It is a good way for someone to sell their property to minimize the amount of money they have to bring to the closing table, even if the house value is at or even a little below market value.  Why?  Because the financing itself has value, so top dollar can be paid for these properties.

We expect the "subject to" trend to become even more popular, especially with sellers in 2014 because of some of the provisions of the new Dodd-Frank law that just went into effect.  The potential liabilities and penalties that mortgage brokers and lenders face under the new law are very harsh.  So harsh in fact that the industry experts expect 1/3 fewer new mortgages to be issued in 2014 than there were in 2013.

While this trend may be good news for us "subject to" experts it may not be so good for the housing recovery so pay attention to the industry, and if you have been doing a lot of owner financing you better get real familiar with the Dodd-Frank requirements or face severe potential penalties.

Laughs and Interesting Stuff 

(Kevin and Mary Jane)  

Here are some humorous stories that have been circulating the internet for some time.  They say these are real life incidents and you know what, I believe them.

While I have done some hair brained things in my life I am real thankful I haven't done any of these.  Although being the President of AT&T who was fired might not be such a bad deal, see the first story.

Will the Real Dummy Please Stand Up? 
AT&T fired President John Walter after nine months, saying he lacked intellectual leadership.  He received a $26 million severance package. Perhaps it's not Walter who's lacking intelligence. 
 
With a Little Help From Our Friends 
Police in Oakland, CA spent two hours attempting to subdue a gunman who had barricaded himself inside his home.  After firing ten tear gas canisters, officers discovered that the man was standing beside them in the police line, shouting, "Please come out and give yourself up."

How About Asking for a Ride???
An Illinois man, pretending to have a gun, kidnapped a motorist and forced him to drive to two different automated teller machines, wherein the kidnapper proceeded to withdraw money from his own bank accounts!

Just Trying to Make a Living!
A man walked into a Topeka , Kansas Kwik Stop and asked for all the money in the cash drawer. Apparently, the take was too small, so he tied up the store clerk and worked the counter himself for three hours until police showed up and grabbed him.

Engage Brain before Mouth
Police in Los Angeles had good luck with a robbery suspect who just couldn't control himself during a lineup.  When detectives asked each man in the lineup to repeat the words: "Give me all your money or I'll shoot", the man shouted, "That's not what I said!"

In Moments of Stress
A man spoke frantically into the phone: "My wife is pregnant and her contractions are only two minutes apart".  "'Is this her first child?" the doctor asked. "No!" the man shouted, "This is her husband!"

Not the Sharpest Tool in the Shed!
In Modesto, CA, Steven Richard King was arrested for trying to hold up a Bank of America branch without a weapon. King used a thumb and a finger to simulate a gun.  Unfortunately, he failed to keep his hand in his pocket.

The Grand Finale!!!
Last summer, down on Lake Isabella, located in the high desert an hour east of Bakersfield, CA, some folks new to boating, were having a problem. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't get their brand new 22 foot boat going. It was very sluggish in almost every maneuver, no matter how much power they applied.

After about an hour of trying to make it go, they putted into a nearby marina, thinking someone there may be able to tell them what was wrong. 

A thorough topside check revealed everything in perfect working condition.  The engine ran fine, the out-drive went up and down, and the propeller was the correct size and pitch.  So, one of the marina guys jumped in the water to check underneath.  He came up choking on water, he was laughing so hard.    

NOW REMEMBER...THIS IS TRUE..
Under the boat, still strapped securely in place, was the trailer!

You know folks, one time I put our boat in the water and hadn't installed the petcock (a device that stops up the hole in the back of the boat where water drains out once the boat is back on the trailer).  We had a little issue with excess water in the boat, but I have always remembered to keep the trailer hooked to the car.

(so people will wonder what your up to AND its contagious)