My "Why"

This week, I reached a goal I previously thought wasn't attainable. I helped clients sell/buy/lease over $10M in real estate in one year. Before I joined Realty Austin, the thought of that wasn't even on my radar. But as I watched my colleagues crush their goals year after year, I started to think, "Why not me?"

A couple of years ago, a dear friend and client gave me one of the best compliments of my career. He said, "You literally changed my life." That was a pivotal moment for me. It changed the way I viewed my job. I started focusing on helping people instead of "selling" people. No one likes to be sold. But nearly everyone appreciates help (even if they have a hard time asking for it...ahem...). It reminded me of when I got LASIK. You're lying on a chair with your eyelids taped open a la A Clockwork Orange, and the doctor tells you to focus on this fuzzy red light. As the laser starts doing its work, slowly but pointedly the fuzzy red light starts to come into focus, and soon you realize it's not a fuzzy red light. It's a red pin light. And you can see it. Perfectly. Helping people. I had my "Why" - or part of it, anyway.

I've been on a "high" the past couple of days - floating on the success of my hard-earned goal that I have worked SO hard to achieve this year. But I've also been reflecting - on my year, on my family, on my clients, on my "Why" - and what it all actually means to me. And here's the thing: it means everything.

Most people not in some aspect of the real estate business don't understand how it all works. They see three apples, and they think those three apples hit my bank account and I'm out living the good life! But there's sooooo much more to it than that. Those apples go to my broker - not directly to me. My broker gives me my portion. Then I pay the IRS. Out of the rest, I pay myself (back) for all of the signs, lockboxes, headshots, business cards, advertising, assistants, staging, photos, flyers, postage, client gifts, gas, CPA, etc. etc. etc. that I spend upfront before I even close the deal. It's a lot. But I get to help people, and I truly love what I do. And I'm really, really good at it - because I actually give a shit.

Reflecting on the everything: I have responsibilities. I have a family. I have bills. I have challenges. I have insecurities. I also have so much gratitude and love. If you had told me in 2013 when my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's that my dad would be gone by 2015, but she'd still be here in 2020, I wouldn't have believed you. My greatest disappointment is that my dad didn't get to see me reach this accomplishment when he was still alive. I always wanted to make him proud. I know he is, but I wanted to be able to see it on his face. To know that he knew I could do it. He was always the "money man" - conservative and smart. I felt like I never knew what I was doing. I actually have a savings account now - with money in it!

My dad set himself and my mom up with long term care insurance in 1996. That's been invaluable, as it's supplemented the amount due each month for her care facility. Here's a staggering statistic for you:

"The overall costs of healthcare are astounding, but the financial burden of an Alzheimer’s diagnosis affects families, too. How much does an Alzheimer’s diagnosis cost individually? According to the Association, Alzheimer’s costs $341,000 on average for the health needs of someone from diagnosis to death. Families pay 70 percent of this out of pocket."

And that article was from 2018. My mom's long term care insurance runs out in July of 2021. So she's my other "Why."

I'd be lying if I said the thought of that isn't stressful. But am I scared? Nope. Why? Because I get to continue doing what I love and feel like I was put on this earth to do: help people. As long as I keep my focus on that, the long hours, the nights when my head is swimming and I can't sleep, the early mornings, the difficult transactions that feel like they're being held together by a shoe string - it's all worth it.

Every. Single. Bit.