Tuning Out to Tune In
Let me tell you a story ...
I’ve spent much of my life surrounded by voices. They tell me what I should be doing, how I should live, and what I ought to achieve. They come from just about everywhere and with good intentions. They come from society at large, my family, my friends — but often, the loudest voice comes from within.
Little Nicky - aka .. The Relentless Critic .. The Doubter .. The Fearmonger
But here’s the thing: none of these voices truly know me.
I refuse to live my life responding to or being beholden to those voices anymore.
I will only listen to the one that calls to me—not at me.
It’s quieter, less intrusive, but more profound. It’s the voice that isn’t afraid of risk or failure because it knows that purpose lies beyond both. It’s the one that reminds me that the easy path rarely leads anywhere worthwhile.
This week, I’ve found myself facing decisions that made me question whether I was living for others’ approval or my own purpose. I've lost count on how many times someone who was "just trying to lookout for me" suggested that the best idea was to settle into the comfortable rhythm of what they deemed "familiar".
But their familiar doesn’t push me forward; it keeps me still. And stillness, when untethered from purpose, isn’t peace—it’s stagnation.
If I listened to those voices ...
I wouldn't have ever had the courage to take the road less traveled and begin investing.
I wouldn't have started purchasing cash offer leads.
I wouldn't be converting cash offer leads to investment deals AND retail listings.
I wouldn't have started an investing group for agents and newbie investors struggling to find a foothold
Last week I mentioned a deal where the seller is facing foreclosure. I should be getting that property under contract in the next 24-48 hours. My initial intention was to hold onto the property for 4-5-6 years waiting for it to appreciate and create enough equity to be able to split with my partners.
Then, I realized I'd be happier with assigning the contract to my partners today for a $10,000 "finders fee" and move on to my next deal. They're still super happy because now there are only 2 partners left to split the proceeds in the future and they are still acquiring a property at just about 15% of its current market value.
This deal never would have presented itself to me had I listened to any/all those voices.
Or another deal that came thru my system last Wednesday. Seller wanted a cash offer for his townhouse in Frederick. He said his commute to his job in Washington DC was too much and he wanted a quick sale.
I reviewed all the information he shared and we discussed all the options I could present:
Cash Offer .. my offer would be in the low $300k range for his property that is worth $425,000.
Novation .. my offer would increase to $375,000 and I would pay all the closing costs if he allowed me to market and sell the property thru the MLS
List the property as his real estate agent.
He didn't like Options 1 or 2 because they provided a lower payout than he wanted. He also told me he had an agent already lined up. He asked me a couple questions about the process and what he walk-away number would look like.
We spent another 20 minutes discussing other options he had, based on what his goals were over the next several years. With it being Thanksgiving Eve, we agreed to end the call and pick up again today.
To my surprise he called Friday afternoon asking more questions and suggesting that he wanted me to be his agent and sell the property thru the MLS. We chatted again today to finalize a few last questions he had about the process.
I'm expecting him to make his decision tonight with the intention of listing the property next week on the open market.
Yet another deal that would never have come my way had I listened to those voices.
I wonder:
How often do you/we mistake the loudest voice for the truest one?
And what would happen if you/we gave ourselves permission to lean into the quieter, more honest call of who you're/we’re meant to be?
I say ... turn the volume down on the critics and up on the calling.
The world doesn’t need another person living for applause.
It needs more of us listening for what we’re here to create.
