Life at the Highest Level

Who should I listen to?

2012-01-24T07:08:00.002-07:00

I know the title is not grammatically correct but I hear myself saying this from time to time. There are so many people that easily and freely give advice. For the most part I believe that they have good intentions. However, I also believe that there are those that reflexively impart their "wisdom" in self defense. Not because they are threatened but because their sense of self or self esteem is threatened. There are occasions when I have caught myself solving other people's issues and my desired result was that their behavior would have less impact on me. I have counseled my children so that their lives would look more like I wanted. With love of course but it is easy now for me to see that their growth, decisions and learning are their own. My meddling can only hurt. I remember listening to speakers live and recorded telling me not to take advice from anyone. More specifically, not to take advice from someone that would not benefit from my growth.

Who should I listen to? Another problem I run into is that I actually give more weight to advice that sounds like something I would say. I don't have to tell you, that's not going to help.

My conclusion is that my objective must be as clear and well defined as possible. I must listen to the highest version of myself and avoid the whisperings of those that are unwilling to rise to the highest levels. I am committed to becoming the best version of myself.

Am I really accountable?

2012-01-09T08:18:00.002-07:00

I love real estate. Not because I love driving buyers around to see houses. Not because I love knowing exactly what home buyers are going to buy and having to show 20 homes before they self discover what I knew from the beginning. Not because I love telling sellers that their home is not worth what they think it is. Not because I love helping sellers self discover that the only offer they have received in four months is a good reflection of what the market will pay. I love real estate because it is the ultimate self development course. I love knowing that if I am going to be successful in sales I must overcome all kinds of mental drunk monkey dooka and embrace discipline and accountability. I love knowing that all of my success depends on me. Here is the problem. I have made what I consider to be great and difficult changes in my life to become better. Most of you who know me will at least agree that I am willing to change. However, this last week I met with a friend that has 4, yes FOUR layers of accountability to make sure she accomplishes her goals. I thought I was committed. I see now where I need to grow. I am grateful for good examples and I am grateful for Real Estate.

The right side of the menu

2011-12-31T07:55:00.002-07:00

In 2012 I am committed to deciding what I want by looking at the left side of the menu. I know that I am probably the only one that looks at the right side of the menu and after I find a price that I am willing to pay, I check to see what I will be having for lunch. This does not just apply to eating at restaurants. This also applies to larger decisions about weed eaters and floor tile and shelving units and cars and fixer upper houses and everything.

Looking at the right side of the menu means I lack of confidence. It suggests that I want something but I don't believe that I can stretch and grow enough to earn what I want and therefore I am limited by what I have. Looking at the right side of the menu means I believe there is not enough. I only have this much and I can't get more so I need to get the biggest bang for my buck. Looking at the right side of the menu is the ultimate in instant gratification mindset. I have this much in my pocket so I will buy now rather than save and buy what I want later.

Looking at the left side of the menu means I feel good about myself. I deserve the best not the most affordable. Looking at the left side of the menu means I believe in myself. I can get what I want when I want it because I know I can get it when I want it. Looking at the left side of the menu means that I create my life the way I want it and I am not subject to my self imposed limitations. I am eager to enjoy 2012.

Leadership 101

2011-02-05T12:19:00.002-07:00

Stephen R. Covey says “leadership is communicating to people their worth and potential so clearly that they come to see it in themselves.” I love this definition. I love the idea of having the communication skills to be able to help someone see their potential. While thinking about this it occurred to me that I must learn these skills because I could truly help my children. Further contemplation brought me to the conclusion to which you have already arrived. It is imperative that I see and believe my own worth and potential. With that knowledge and confidence I will take massive action to achieve my goals. I am a Leader.

Synthesizing Happiness

2010-12-28T12:45:00.002-07:00

The perception of having a choice interferes with happiness.

Nice guys aren't.

2010-06-02T17:03:00.005-06:00

A "nice guy" is a person that believes that if he is good enough he will get his needs met, everybody will like him and approve of him and he will live a smooth problem free life. I recently read a book called No More Mr. Nice Guy and the author, Dr. Glover explained why being a "nice guy" is not a good thing. According to the author we learn as children to be good and we will get our needs met and we carry that belief into adulthood.

This does not translate well into adulthood because the adult then tries to manage outcomes by being good. This is dishonest and manipulative. In every situation the "inner child" wants to be good enough and approved of in order to have a problem free life so he is willing to be dishonest. Modifying the truth is done through outright lying or by just omitting certain pertinent facts of a story in an attempt to make sure everyone is happy and likes us. I learned from the author that children lie because they are not powerful and in order to level the playing field they lie and because of childish "magical thinking" the child believes the adult will not find out.

One other thing I learned from this book is that our attempts to manage outcomes create a lot of anxiety. This anxiety is a manifestation of an internal conversation we are having due to seemingly unmanageable situations. The internal mantra or conversation is "I can't handle this". When you are anxious listen to your thoughts, I believe you will hear yourself saying that you can not handle the negative outcome of the present situation. The author suggests we adopt a new mantra. Whenever you feel anxious you choose the thought "I can handle it!" Because we can. This helps us be more authentic and to remain honest because we know that we can handle any outcome from telling the truth. I have a long way to go but I am less anxious because I have a better understanding of my internal conversation.

Warriors Guide

2010-04-11T10:21:00.004-06:00

I read an article today in The Art of Manliness blog. It is called The Warriors Guide to True Manliness and it identifies several ideas that resonated deeply with me. The first is that within every man lives an intact warrior instinct that waits to be awoken and to drive men to greatness. Warriors throughout time have been driven by survival instinct and fear of death. Men must contend with survival of the fittest daily. A quote from the blog is: "Without this fundamental understanding about life's impermanence and an obligation to achieve greatness we become complacent and unmotivated in life."

The first step to living life like a warrior is to Master your Body. We can understand the physical benefits of being in shape but the mental discipline of overcoming laziness and physical pain brings even greater benefits in my opinion and is essential to the Warrior lifestyle.

The most impactful concept for me was to Use Death as your Guide. If we kept in mind that we could die at any moment, would we sit around doing anything that did not make an impact. Video games, watching inane television, commiserating and perseverating on the difficulties in life all come to mind as incredible misuse of the limited time we have here.

Choose your Path with your Heart. If it is true that all paths lead to the same place, Death, then choose the one that makes you happy in the moment. Choosing a path that will eventually make you happy and with Death knocking on your door is incongruent and wasteful.

Fight Every Battle as if it is your Last. With Death as my Guide I will live more completely and in the present moment. Fighting every battle as if it is my last will push me to greatness.

William Bustos - Getting Started in Real Estate

2010-03-16T17:17:00.000-06:00

Problems

2010-03-09T09:57:00.003-07:00

The secret to success is not to try to avoid or get rid of or shrink from your problems. The secret is to grow yourself so that you are bigger than any problem.

If you have a big problem in your life, All that means is that you are being a small person. Don't be fooled by appearances. Your outer world is merely a reflection of your inner world. If you want to make permanent change, stop focusing on the size of your problems and start focusing on the size of YOU!!

Focus - Charlotte Thomas

2010-02-10T14:59:00.002-07:00

Charlotte took a few minutes to talk about the advice she would give to top producing agent. I was surprised and happy to hear that there were no secrets.

Interview with Charlotte Thomas - Who can I help today?

2010-02-08T18:01:00.001-07:00

I was fortunate enough to have an opportunity to interview Charlotte Thomas. She is a local Top Producing agent that reminds us to make sure we always keep in mind, "Who Can I help todaY?"

"Being Realistic" is the most commonly traveled road to mediocrity. Will Smith

2010-01-15T12:20:00.000-07:00

The Problem with Goal Setting

2009-12-23T12:54:00.001-07:00

Goal setting has always been a problem for me. In trying to overcome this problem, I have read and reread books such as Psycho Cybernetics, Think and Grow Rich, The Magic of Thinking Big, Awaken the Giant Within and many more. I have listened to coaches and trainers guide me through goal setting sessions but the strategies have never actually stuck. Don’t get me wrong, I have accomplished many things in my life and in my business, but not one of my accomplishments will I attribute to the kind of goal setting that I have read and learned about.

My problem with traditional goal setting is that after a few days the enthusiasm fades and the goal sheet ends up in a bedside table. I realize that I lose focus and I forget what I want and how badly I want it. I will set a goal for a new car and then I will get distracted and stop working towards earning more money. This being the end of the year I have an instinct that I must set goals and move towards accomplishing them. I do not want to repeat what I have done in previous years and read my goals for a couple of weeks and then put them away and forget about them. I want to set goals and follow through the entire year so I can look back at the end of the year and be proud of myself. I have learned a principle that I think will help.

1. Dissatisfaction is my greatest ally and will get me into action.

Today I want to talk about how I plan on setting my goals. One night about a week ago I was laying in bed thinking about goal setting. It occurred to me that dissatisfaction is caused by comparing ourselves to the ideal. In other words, I feel bad when I think of the best basketball player or chess player or Realtor because I know that I am capable but I am not making my best effort to achieve those end results. Dissatisfaction grows when we compare to the ideal; the Ideal Realtor or the Ideal Father, etc. An interesting thing happens in our brain when we are uncomfortable. We either look at the thing that is making us uncomfortable and attack it to eliminate the discomfort or we look away. What determines which response we have? We take action when we feel that we can control and eliminate the discomfort. We avoid and ignore dealing with the subject when we do not have faith in our ability to overcome the obstacle. For too long I have been avoiding doing the things that will make me happy because of some perceived pain or lack of control. This is generally referred to as a “victim mentality.” It is an unspoken belief that forces such as the weather, traffic circumstances or other external factors are acting on me. I then realized that I already have the ideal picture in my head of who I am and what an Ideal Realtor looks like. As I came to grips with this concept of understanding the Ideal I decided to focus on it and quantify it.

The Ideal Realtor:
Prospecting Habit
Presentation Practice Habit
Phone Scripts
8x8
33 touch
12 direct
Systems for marketing
Client Care Systems
Lead Generation systems
Lead Follow up systems
SOI Growing systems

I noticed that as I focused on the ideal the words came out almost too fast to write down. We already have the ideal image in our head of who we can become. We already know the components that make up this Ideal person. But we have created a scotoma that helps us avoid looking at our Ideal. There are many other characteristics and habits that can be added to quantify the Ideal Realtor. And every one of the systems has more detail that can be added.

One of the things I have learned from all of my reading and studying is that clarity is power. The more clarity I have about a specific system or process the easier it is for me to implement and to remember. A collateral benefit to adding clarity to the ideal is that it intensifies my dissatisfaction with my current state. Intense dissatisfaction is what makes me take action.

It then occurred to me that I could have intense dissatisfaction about many different situations. What does my ideal kitchen look like? What does my ideal healthy state include? How about an ideal relationship? Is it possible that I could create an ideal state of cleanliness that forces me to take action and finally clean out the garage?

My goal setting, therefore, is to verbalize and quantify the ideal pictures that I already have in my head adding detail and clarity so that I am motivated every time I read them to take immediate action.

The secret to having a successful business.

2009-12-02T16:47:00.006-07:00

Businesses have been surveyed and the results were that successful businesses had high sales and unsuccessful business had low sales. Therefore it can be assumed that sales are important to business success. Individuals are responsible for sales and successful sales people are people that are willing to risk rejection and ask for business. People that are willing to risk rejection and ask for business are typically people that have high self confidence and self esteem. So my conclusion is that in order to have a successful business and have a high amount of sales you must have individuals that have high self esteem and self confidence. I was having this discussion with Greg and he asked, "Well how do you create high self esteem?" I thought he was joking and then realized that there are probably quite a few people that do not know the answer to this question. An individual can raise their level of self esteem and self confidence by keeping promises. But not just any promises. Promises to themselves. Those insignificant promises like, I will make the bed every morning or I will get up at 5:00 am every morning and workout. Even as you read this you understand at a visceral level that it is true. You know that if you were to keep promises to yourself you would feel better about yourself and your ability to keep your commitments. If you felt better about your ability to keep your commitments you would make larger commitments and bigger promises. If you made bigger promises and kept them you would feel better about yourself regardless of the outcome and you would have improved self esteem. I am making some promises TODAY!!

Please comment on or share this post.

Seth Godin - Overcoming Resistance

2009-11-28T11:10:00.000-07:00

Seth Godin: Quieting the Lizard Brain from 99% on Vimeo.

Incongruent Behavior

2009-11-19T21:21:00.008-07:00

Saying one thing and doing another is incongruent behavior. This morning I got on my scale in order to create tension between current reality and my goal. I noticed the scale jumped to 220 lbs. My goal is 200 and fit. Good - tension created. I then realized that I had gotten on the scale yesterday and the result was pretty much the same. However, instead of working out and eating better I ate a piece of cake before I went to bed. That is what you call an obvious incongruency.

This morning I was on the phone making phone calls to For Sale By Owners and another agent verbalized a thought that I was already thinking. FSBO's are mean nasty and rude. My next call the person that answered was not mean nasty or rude but I was already out of rapport with my goal of setting an appointment so I let the seller convince me that I could not help her. Incongruence is a demonstration of our lack of belief. We say we want something but then do not marshal our personal power and act congruently to achieve our goals. We do not believe that we can achieve what we set out to do. What actions, attitudes and beliefs are necessary to take congruent action consistently? I wish I had an answer. We want to be one person but then act in direct contradiction to our stated purpose.

I said that I wanted to prospect consistently and on a schedule but for the last week I have not made it into the office on time and arrived at my prospecting station after 9:00 am. A stated purpose or goal and incongruent actions that lead to opposite results. Joe Stumph, who I consider to be an incredible trainer and coach, tells us that we must make our goal more important and more real than our current reality. I believe that we must eliminate options. What ideas do you have to help me make on time prospecting with a purpose a must and not a should or optional?

Personal Responsibility

2009-11-18T06:30:00.004-07:00

Am I taking personal responsibility for everything in my life? For most people this is a tough question to read much less answer. Everything? What about that driver on the way into the office or the economy or the mortgage companies? I had a tough time sleeping last night, I was concerned about a real estate transaction and I ate 7-11 hotdogs for dinner. It was not my fault.

The problem with not taking personal responsibility for EVERYTHING in our lives is that then we must admit that we are being acted upon. We must admit that we are victims! We do not have control over our circumstances and if we do not have control in one situation what evidence do we have that we have control in any situation. If we continue to view our circumstances with the attitude "I didn't create this, it's not my fault," in effect, we are saying, "I'm not in control of my life." As soon as you say, "I create it all, the good, the bad, and the ugly," you take control of your life!

If you are ready the two simple steps to TAKING CONTROL of your life are:

1. Take 100% responsibility for your current reality, regardless how blissful or how dismal.

2. Become 100% responsible for changing your current reality: "If it's going to be, it's up to me." Examine these 2 steps. Neither of them require any physical work on your part; there is no "doing." They are simply paradigm shifts; they both simply require a change in attitude, a new set of mental rules, a new internal program. When you combine the two steps, you now have the ability to truly create your own destiny.

Please click the Share button at the top of the page or let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Rubber Band Effect

2009-11-17T12:33:00.005-07:00

Try this experiment, stick your fingers in a rubber band and then hold your fingers open and hold it as long as possible. You are now exercising Willpower. Eventually you will release the rubber band. Willpower fails every time.

Imagine getting on a scale and seeing that you weigh 30 lbs more than you think you are supposed to weigh. Immediately there is discomfort. This is cognitive dissonance. There is a tension between reality and how we see ourselves that creates discomfort. So we decide to stop eating dessert and start working out. Then the next morning if you are still holding the rubber band open you will get up early, get dressed and go walking or stick an exercise dvd in and do your best to keep up. Unfortunately what happens then is that the next morning we are sore and can no longer hold the rubber band open or we forget altogether about the rubber band and commit to never getting on the scale again. This is the way we tend to deal with cognitive dissonance. Generally we snap back to our default state. Think of a jetliner on autopilot to Miami, sure you can grab the stick and guide it to South Dakota but as soon as you release the controls the autopilot will correct course to Miami. Our subconscious is our autopilot.

We must decide EXACTLY what we want with specificity and repeat and remind ourselves constantly in order to reprogram the autopilot in our brains. We must get on the scale as often as possible to ensure that we are constantly creating cognitive dissonance and tension. We must become comfortable with being uncomfortable. Even now you are feeling uncomfortable as you think about setting specific goals. What will you do? Will you avoid the scale or will you decide that today you will begin reprogramming your autopilot?

Take advantage of Performance Multipliers.

2009-11-16T10:22:00.004-07:00

A coach that I listened to said that if you want to be truly great you must either change the people around you OR change the people around you. I read Talent is Overrated this weekend and the author says that the truly great achievers took advantage of performance multipliers. Most great achievers started as reluctant performers that were coerced to take lessons and practice and initially experienced skills growth and were promoted to better teachers, coaches or classes. This continued until the future superstar realized that if they were going to be able to keep performing at the level of their class they would have to practice more and become better at their sport or instrument. A good piano player in a small town moves to a college with several good piano players and must step up his skills just to keep up. Eventually the piano player becomes truly great. The number one performance multiplier is the people with whom you surround yourself. Anthony Robbins tells us that our lives are a direct reflection of the expectations of our peer group. Who you spend time with is who you become.

How to Overcome Resistance

2009-09-24T13:20:00.001-06:00

What could you accomplish?

2009-08-31T16:39:00.000-06:00

Round ,1P90X Results Rolando Gill

2009-08-31T16:08:00.001-06:00

I love Real Estate

2009-06-16T13:23:00.001-06:00

I love Real Estate. I love my business.
I love it because I can help people.
I love helping people see that they can have a house that they love.
I love helping people establish roots for their family.
I love knowing that I am helping better their future and changing their family tree.
I love to see the smiles on children’s faces when they run through the house and pick out their rooms.
I love driving a family to the nearest schools to show them where their children will attend.
I love to see the smile on the mother’s face when she is imagining serving meals in the dining room.
I love watching the father survey the yard and garage as he imagines all his projects and improvements.
I love to put the deal together and confidently tell the family that they will move into their home soon.
I love seeing homes.
I love helping move up buyers find their dream home.
I love seeing their eyes light up when they know that they are in their dream home.
I love the challenge of negotiating for a great deal.
I love working with agents.
I love working with professional great agents.
I love working with young new agents and contributing to them from my experience.
I love working with tough miserable agents because it helps me appreciate all the good agents.
I love knowing that the contract represents a win-win transaction.
I love seeing new problems and remembering that there are real people with real goals and dreams involved.
I love solving those problems from that perspective.
I love helping people learn to invest in real estate.
I love reviewing cash flow on a multi unit property.
I love seeing the potential in a property and explaining it to my buyers.
I love learning how to do new transactions.
I love learning and teaching.
I love finding great deals with cash flow or potential equity and helping good friends profit from it.
I love learning about all the ways deals can be done.
I love putting together a plan for profit that includes many steps and seeing that plan through.
I love helping people sell their home.
I love setting up showings for motivated sellers.
I love telling people the truth about their homes value.
I love helping people accept reality and moving forward with their lives.
I love telling people the truth about their homes condition and helping them understand that I want to help them.
I love meeting people at a closing table after a job well done.
I love reviewing a contract with a family and helping them come to an agreement that benefits them.
I love talking to potential buyers and helping them through the steps of prequalifying and identifying what is important to them.
I love learning how to help people identify what is truly important to them.
I love delivering a high level of service.
I love knowing that I am a great agent.
I love knowing that my clients are working with a true professional.
I love keeping my promise to keep people informed and helping them understand.
I love helping people and answering questions even if it does not always lead to a transaction.
I love helping a homeowner figure out how to keep his home.
I love solving problems.
I love being a professional and being a resource for my community. I love working with great escrow officers and helping buyers and sellers understand and sign their documents.
I love working with great loan officers and knowing that docs got to the title company early.
I love inspection issues and helping people understand them and resolve them.
I love seeing the commission amount on the HUD’s.
I love easily reviewing HUD’s with my sellers.
I love depositing my check.
I love knowing that I will be at another closing soon.
I love knowing that I will get another check soon.
I love knowing that I can easily live my dreams when I focus on what I love about my business.
I love knowing that I can be happy by truly loving my business.
I love knowing that all of my problems are tiny in comparison to my love for myself, my business and my clients.

I love my business.

Rolando Gill
June 16, 2009

The Greatest Value of Discipline

2009-05-19T15:54:00.004-06:00

Here is the greatest value of discipline: self-worth, also known as self-esteem. Many people who are teaching self-esteem these days don't connect it to discipline. But once we sense the least lack of discipline within ourselves, it starts to erode our psyche. One of the greatest temptations is to just ease up a little bit. Instead of doing your best, you allow yourself to do just a little less than your best. Sure enough, you've started in the slightest way to decrease your sense of self-worth. I made a commitment to myself that I would get up everyday at 5:00 am. I did this for a couple of weeks and I felt great, I was able to workout and read and journal. Then I allowed myself to hit the snooze button just once and then I would get up. This went on for about a month. All the time I was justifying that no one else was getting up that early so if I was 9 minutes late it would not matter. Then for the past 2 weeks I have been hitting the snooze bar twice and sometimes three times in the morning. Sure I still was up early and doing my workout but I have felt a degradation in my sense of self worth. I spend more time justifying and convincing myself that I am still working hard.

There is a problem with even a little bit of neglect. Neglect starts an infection. If you don't take care of it, it becomes a disease. And one neglect leads to another. Worst of all, when neglect starts, it diminishes our self-worth.

How can you regain your self-respect? Start with the smallest discipline that corresponds to your own philosophy. I created a morning ritual that has changed my life. I highly recommend it. Make the commitment. "I will discipline myself to achieve my goals so that in the years ahead I can celebrate my successes." Thank you Jim Rohn.

Us versus Them is a great strategy.

2009-01-22T16:28:00.004-07:00

Us vs. Them is a great strategy.
I entered an informal contest in our office to see who could get 25 listings first. I am having a great time. As I was researching this subject I read several papers and blogs that fall on both sides of the competition argument. Many say that competition is bad and demoralizes the losers. This is a very Marxist approach to the idea. Others say that competition is good. I believe that capitalism and competition are good things and Adam Smith, the economist, knew what he was talking about. The problem I have with the ‘competition is good’ crowd is that they are all talking about a specific company or software product or specific industry. I was much more interested in learning about why I felt so good about the idea of competing against fellow Realtors and friends in a listing competition. I am really enjoying the competition and I have jumped out to an early lead. However, I am afraid if someone in my office does not step up it will be real easy to lose enthusiasm for this endeavor.

What that says to me is that competing is fun as long as the competitors are evenly matched. As I was thinking about this idea, that the competitors should be evenly matched, I then realized that we all feel better in an ‘us versus them’ environment. Creating an ‘us vs. them’ environment makes it easy to unite a group against another. A united group of competitors in a highly competitive environment is what all leaders are working towards. All participants benefit from being evenly matched and highly competitive.

After reading Tribal Leadership I learned that initially we are all in the ‘I am good and you are not’ mentality but that does not keep us motivated and growing. If we can find a way to move into the ‘we are good and you are not’ mentality we grow together as a united group and we compete at higher levels than we could have individually. Increased satisfaction, rewards and growth are the outcomes for evenly matched competitors. Find a way to create an ‘us vs. them’ environment, choose the competition wisely and watch your sales take off.

This too shall pass.

2009-01-13T13:28:00.003-07:00

Great Story, I had to pass it on.

One day Solomon decided to humble Benaiah ben Yehoyada, his most trusted minister. He said to him, "Benaiah, there is a certain ring that I want you to bring to me. I wish to wear it for Sukkot which gives you six months to find it."

"If it exists anywhere on earth, your majesty," replied Benaiah, "I will find it and bring it to you, but what makes the ring so special?"

"It has magic powers," answered the king. "If a happy man looks at it, he becomes sad, and if a sad man looks at it, he becomes happy." Solomon knew that no such ring existed in the world, but he wished to give his minister a little taste of humility.

Spring passed and then summer, and still Benaiah had no idea where he could find the ring. On the night before Sukkot, he decided to take a walk in one of he poorest quarters of Jerusalem. He passed by a merchant who had begun to set out the day's wares on a shabby carpet. "Have you by any chance heard of a magic ring that makes the happy wearer forget his joy and the broken-hearted wearer forget his sorrows?" asked Benaiah.

He watched the grandfather take a plain gold ring from his carpet and engrave something on it. When Benaiah read the words on the ring, his face broke out in a wide smile.

That night the entire city welcomed in the holiday of Sukkot with great festivity. "Well, my friend," said Solomon, "have you found what I sent you after?" All the ministers laughed and Solomon himself smiled.

To everyone's surprise, Benaiah held up a small gold ring and declared, "Here it is, your majesty!" As soon as Solomon read the inscription, the smile vanished from his face. The jeweler had written three Hebrew letters on the gold band: _gimel, zayin, yud_, which began the words "_Gam zeh ya'avor_" -- "This too shall pass."

At that moment Solomon realized that all his wisdom and fabulous wealth and tremendous power were but fleeting things, for one day he would be nothing but dust.

The Law of Value

2009-01-06T10:15:00.000-07:00

Value is not what I say it is. Value is what customer says it is.

Mammoth Hunting

2009-01-02T13:38:00.004-07:00

Killing a mammoth ensures that you have enough food for the family and that the kids will grow up strong. The problem with mammoth hunting is that you can not do it on your own. If we are going to kill a mammoth we must have help. It is important to make sure that we make friends with others that also like the taste of grilled mammoth. It probably would not do to hunt mammoth with friends that like sauteed rat or boiled greens. If we are going to risk our lives hunting food then we may as well hunt the best food. If we want to be successful then we probably should learn from the best and hang out with successful mammoth hunters. We will probably start wearing the same furs and using the same weapons as the best mammoth hunters. Next thing we should do is go on a few mammoth hunts. We may not get one every time but each time we will learn and get better. Soon, we will have a highly successful mammoth hunting team.

Setting huge goals and surrounding ourselves with others that have similar goals and are willing to help us, is huge. Stay away from those that do not have a taste for mammoth, they are likely to try to discourage you. Stay focused on how good the mammoth will taste.

My mammoth for 2009 is 100 closed real estate transactions. Anyone want to help me kill this mammoth?

Must Watch, Great interpretation

2008-12-31T10:30:00.000-07:00

Playing For Change: Song Around the World | Stand By Me from Concord Music Group on Vimeo.

Dog on a nail.

2008-12-29T11:17:00.003-07:00

A brush salesman was walking down some dirt roads in Georgia trying to sell some brushes. It was a terribly hot day and the humidity was stifling. He walked up to a house with an old man sitting on a rocking chair on the porch next to an old hound dog. He knew that he would not get a sale, so he decided to ask for a glass of cold water. The old man said, "sure sonny." The old man got up, stepped over the hound dog and opened the screen door and went inside. While the old man was inside the salesman heard the old hound dog moan. He wasn't exactly sure that the hound dog moaned until he heard him do it again. The old man came back out with the glass of water and handed it to the salesman. The salesman, being parched and hot, gulped the cold water down. He handed the glass back to the old man and said, "that sure hit the spot, thank you." He then said to the old man,"sorry, to bother you but I think there is something wrong with that dog. I heard him moan while you were inside." The old man responded, "There ain't nothing wrong with that dog. He's just laying on a nail. It hurts enough to moan about it but not enough to get up off of it."

I wonder how many nails we are laying on that we keep moaning about? I must remind myself every time I begin to complain and moan that all I have to do is get up!

Soldiers know that war makes Generals

2008-11-12T10:51:00.002-07:00

When I was in the army, so so so long ago. I remember reading about the experiences of Viet Nam veterans and WWII veterans. I was always impressed with the stories of soldiers that would take up the mantle of leadership when their leaders were disabled or killed. Then, during a calm in the action or upon returning to their base of operations these impromptu leaders were given battlefield commissions. A commission for those of you that don't understand is different than a non-commissioned officer (private, corporal or sergeant). A commissioned officer goes through more leadership training and schooling(lieutenant, captain, major and colonel). In order to reach the highest levels of leadership in the military you must be a commissioned officer. In Tribes Seth Godin says that soldier's know that war makes Generals. My thoughts turned to our current economic situation and our real estate markets. I know that many of you have already excelled in this battle and are reaping the benefits of your battlefield commission. For the rest of us, I think it is a great metaphor to think that we are in a war and ask ourselves if we are performing like leaders. Would we, looking back on our mindset and action over the past year, deserve a battlefield commission? Honestly, I have performed less than admirably by allowing negative thoughts to persist and believing them. I am going back into battle with an new mindset. HUWA!

West Valley Testimonial

2008-10-24T15:02:00.001-06:00

Hello Rolando. I hope all is well with you and your family.

I told you I would send you a testimonial (many moons ago) and I wanted to follow up on that. Here it is:

I was having trouble selling my home with another realtor after the mortgage industry started to collapse. My previous realtor recommended an inflated asking price that got me really excited, and then my home sat on the market for 6 months with little activity. As the mortgage industry collapsed, the number of qualified buyers was decreasing as were home values. I researched active realtors in my area and ones who really understands different parts of town who also had a lot of experience. After speaking to several realtors, I chose Rolando Gill. I asked him to give me an honest asking price that would sell my home within 90 days. He gave me the price, showed me comparables in the neighborhood and how it stacked up. He also recommended different financing options to consider and what direction the buyers market was going. This was one of many signs that he understood the market in order to best position his sellers. He also recommended that we change some of the interior paint colors to more neutral ones that would appeal to more buyers. He even put me in touch with a quality painter and even followed up to make sure they did a good job. Rolando went the extra mile again to provide names of lawn service companies that could maintain my lawn. He helped me yet again with repairs after the inspection. Rolando is a hard worker, and always goes the extra mile. Well, let me tell you that his knowledge and experience paid off. I had several offers and closed it within 90 days, even with the difficult market conditions. Many thanks to Rolando and his team for making my selling experience as enjoyable and as stress-free as possible. I would highly recommend Rolando Gill to my family and friends, and to you.

Tim

Juan Carlos

2008-10-24T14:31:00.001-06:00

For my daughters

2008-10-17T10:50:00.000-06:00

It is important to know that Discipline equals Freedom. Most of us say that we want more money, but what we really want is the freedom that money provides. Same with fitness we say we want to be fit but what we really want is the freedom that fitness gives us. So, if our underlying desire is for Freedom then we reject what we perceive limits our freedom. Discipline is what most people perceive to limit freedom. It is important that you understand that distinction. If you discipline yourself to get fit then you have more freedom in what to wear and what activities to participate in, and your self esteem grows which makes it easier to be more disciplined.

Now lets take it a step further. If I want more money then I must be disciplined and many tell me that I must cold call. Cold calling is a very painful way of doing business. I would much rather talk to my friends and past clients and get business that way. So, if you decide to be disciplined you want to enhance the activities that you already do or have fun at. It is like a seed. If you drop a seed on concrete then it will be very difficult for that seed to grow. Cold calling for me is concrete. If you plant a seed in rich soil and water it every day it is easier for that seed to grow. If I call my friends and past clients every day and help them then they will help me to grow. My friends and past clients are my rich soil. You must create an environment where success is a natural consequence.

I have set my alarm clock at 5:25 am and I have it far away from my bed. So that I have to get up to turn it off. That is an environmental change that helps me be successful. I have scheduled the things that I WANT to do in my calendar and I have my phone remind me of those appointments. That is a method I use to help me create the environment I want to help me be successful. It is so important to know that Willpower fails EVERYTIME. No one has the energy to sustain willpower over time. Think about this. If I decided to stop overeating but I was always going out with my friends that over ate and were always at Carl’s Jr. My willpower might carry me for a little while until I ate one fry then it would be a downhill slide from there. Your environment and your friends are the best help you can have to become more disciplined and more successful. Look at the food in your refrigerator. That is your environment.

Discipline is easily achieved if you plan it out in advance. Like pushing the alarm clock away so that you have to get up and then deciding that when it goes off that you will get up. Create the environment where success is natural and it will be. Choose friends that are in shape or have a huge savings or get things done. It will be uncomfortable at first but you will begin to change just to fit in, and your life will improve.

But, they are my friends!!

2008-09-18T08:18:00.002-06:00

Anthony Robbins tells us that peoples lives are a direct reflection of the expectations of their peer group. Who you spend time with is who you become. Every time I read that I am impacted. Gary Keller tells us, Our life in 5 years will be a direct reflection of the people that we are hanging out with and the books we are reading today.

Don't make friends who are comfortable to be with. Make friends who will force you to lever yourself up. Thomas J. Watson Sr.

Can I improve the casual conversation?

2008-09-17T10:41:00.007-06:00

This morning I was listening to recording about approachability. I learned some really cool concepts. Have you ever asked anyone about their weekend? Usually they will relate what they did. "We worked on the yard and had a family barbecue", and our general response is, "Oh I like to barbecue" or "I went to a movie" or something else that makes the conversation about you. Well in order to be more approachable and engage the other person more deeply, I suggest that you make sure to ask three more questions. When you are more willing to listen to the other person you strengthen that relationship very quickly. After the third question and response you have permission to talk about yourself. Make sure however, to get contact information. Once you return to your office or home, you want to send a handwritten note referencing the conversation and how it was good to meet or talk to your new friend. What a great way to improve upon the casual conversation and take your game to the next level. A great reference is the book by Scott Ginsberg, "Hello My Name is Scott".

I don’t know anybody!

2008-09-02T12:28:00.003-06:00

So, you asked your friends if they knew of anyone that was thinking of buying or selling Real Estate and they said, “I DON’T KNOW ANYBODY!” What do you say? Many of us are unwilling to call our friends because we don’t know what to say if they say NO. Now we have a response.

Thank you for thinking about it. Now that we have talked . . . you may notice . . . some of your friends that may need my help. Would you . . . be comfortable . . . if I checked back in a week to see if anyone comes to mind.

Make sure to emphasize the embedded commands. Now go call your friends and ask for referrals.

Favorite Quotes

2008-08-20T16:13:00.001-06:00

Man can not believe what has not happened to him. That maxim alone accounts for all mediocrity. U.S. Andersen

Nothing lasts forever even cold November rain. Axl Rose

You stay ready then you ain't got to get ready. Will Smith

You are who you attract. John Maxwell

As a Realtor, what are the 3 most common questions you get?

2008-08-19T12:56:00.000-06:00

What do you do?

Thanks for asking. (Name), the best way to describe it is with a quick story.

Tell the Story (Remove I and Me, Include details and what they accomplished)

And that’s what I do – I make dreams come true; I am a real estate consultant.

How is the market?

Great Question, it depends on where you live. I’m curious, where do you live?

Well what I do for my friends and some of my other clients who live in (your area) is I keep them informed with a regular email on what other houses are going for, how long it takes to sell them and the sales prices. Would that information be of value to you? I would love to do that research for you.

Do you have a business card?

This is my business card. But instead of giving you my business card right now, why don’t you put my telephone number in your cell phone, and whenever you are in a conversation with a person who is thinking of buying, selling or refinancing, just take out your cell phone, look up my number and call me immediately.

I believe to reach higher levels we must learn from and be willing to stand on the shoulders of Champions. I learned these scripts at a By Referral Only seminar and I want to share them with you. I am happy to introduce you to a By Referral Only coach.

Self Esteem

2008-08-19T12:40:00.000-06:00

The definition of self esteem is a confidence and satisfaction in oneself. It is evident that if we have good self esteem then we will achieve goals because we believe that we deserve them. But, what if you are not setting big goals or you are not truly chasing them. How do I improve my self esteem?

Perseverance is the real life expression of Self Discipline.

When we persevere in a task or exercise or diet then we feel better about ourselves.

Feeling better about ourselves equals increased confidence and satisfaction in oneself.

Increased self esteem then leads to a belief that we deserve more. If we believe we deserve more then we will discipline ourselves to persevere through another task or plan or diet.

Self Discipline leads to Perseverance that leads to increased Self Esteem that leads to increased self discipline.

Pressure to be Average

2008-02-24T07:56:00.001-07:00

Every Tuesday and Thursday I go to my gym and play full court basketball with other guys my age. Established salt of the earth types between 30 to 50 years old. I went to the gym on Thursday and there was a new guy there. When I walked in he was doing handstand pushups and wearing his hair in a ponytail and culottes. Long shorts or short pants, not sure but the first word that came to mind was culottes. Anyway, he played well and seemed to have too much energy. When we were done, I walked out of the gym behind him and he got into a monster truck wrapped in black pattern. I noticed on the side window a skull and crossbones symbol. Under the skull, the words "Born Bold" appeared. I then realized that my judgements of him being a nerd or just outrageous and flamboyant demonstrated to me my need for him to conform and be "normal". Why is it that we do that? Why do we excoriate those that are not "normal"? Seth Godin, author of The Dip, talks of the pressure to be average. I do not want to be average. Do you realize that this pressure manifests itself in so many subtle ways. Not speaking up when I have something important to say, being embarrassed to show off a talent, dressing in a socially acceptable way (the puffy shirt comes to mind). Fear of being rejected or not receiving approval from others. I then look over at some of the weirdo top producing agents in our market place and I understand that they never succumbed to the pressure to be average. Next question is, Is it necessary to pressure our kids and loved ones to be "normal"? I really would like some input on this idea and some help identifying other subtle pressures to be average. This is a conversation that I believe is of ultimate importance.

Motivation vs. Inspiration

2008-02-24T07:56:00.000-07:00

The dictionary defines motivation as, provided with a motive or an incentive for action. This assumes that you have to be persuaded. You need something to get you into action. In other words, you do not want to move willingly towards your objective. Inspiration is defined as aroused, animated or imbued with the spirit to do something. In other words, you experience a calling. Your work is effortless as it relates to your end result. You are pulled forward and you experience elation. Anthony Robbins tells us that the only reason we don’t have or do the things we want to have or do is because of the story we have around that thing. If we change our story around our goals we can be inspired and move willingly and effortlessly towards them.