This last weekend was my 40th Class Reunion for Noblesville High School Class of 1975. It was good seeing those who came, fun to reminisce and catch up. A lot of the faces were difficult to place, we don't look much like the 18 year olds who parted so many years ago. However, the biggest take-away I got from this event was the words of one of my long-time mentors ringing in my ears:
"Are you working your business, or are you chasing your dream?"
In most of the conversations, the topic was how many years they had left before they retired. Many were looking forward to being retired in 4 more years at 62, some earlier with government jobs. There were even two in the Real Estate business who were on the countdown. One actually said, she couldn't wait to retire because she hates "her job." My first thought was, if you think your real estate business is a job, your working in the wrong office culture.
It seemed like such a foreign thought for me hearing them all talk. They sounded so old, coveting the end of their working lives. I feel like I am really just getting started. I cannot wait to get up and at it each day, and cannot imagine not being in the hunt. Just the other day I was asked my plan for how long I'll stay in the game. My answer - as long as my health allows, then until they nail the lid down. If you love what you are doing, why would you want to quit doing it?
My personal goals and visions have changed over the years, from sustenance to significance. The Mission Statement that I have long lived by is "Have Fun, Make Money, and Make a Difference." I believe if you focus on Having Fun and Making a Difference, Making Money will take care of itself.
Right now my passion is changing people's lives for the better, helping them achieve more: more money, more control, more time for their families and things they love to do, and most importantly, more passion for what they do with their days and lives. It's about helping one agent at a time, one family at a time, until the entire industry has to shift to change the lives of thousands.
When Jimmy Dulin took me to lunch and shared his dream in 2010, I knew that it was what I wanted to do with my life. I haven't worked a day since, I have been chasing a dream from eyes opening to eyes closing every day.
The question you should be asking yourself is that same one my mentor taught me to ask,
"Are you working your business, or are you chasing your dream?"
The first is a hamster wheel, where you count the days for the weekend or retirement; the latter is magic. Find your magic if you haven't already!
