The FIVE most important things I learned in 2021...
The FIVE most important things I learned in 2021…
(in no particular order)
You should surround yourself with the people who show up. In life we tend to want everyone to like us, they even have a name for it… a people pleaser. We desire to fit in and make everyone happy, we work so hard to make events and never say no and then it’s time for an event for you and those same people who you bent backwards for can’t be found. Those aren’t your people. You should spend all your time focusing on the small circle of people who show up for you time and time again. This year I learned this TEN FOLD. With everything that went on and all the events I had the same people kept showing up, and sometimes they were the people I didn’t even expect to see. THOSE are my people and those should be your people too. People make time for the things and people they want to make time for. If someone is always too busy time after time guess what… you’re not a priority to them. It’s really quite simple but the faster you learn this lesson the better. It took me 32 years but my life is better for it now.
To the people who showed up for me this year (you all know who you are) THANK YOU. Your kindness, love, and sacrifice absolutely did not go unnoticed.
You need a vision board, every single year. It doesn’t have to be some meticulous board with magazine cutouts. It can be whatever a vision board means to you but you HAVE to have one. Year after year I set audacious goals I dream BIG and each year when I sit to reflect on the years accomplishments I can’t help but see the correlation between what I wrote down on my board and what the year had in store for me. Get married, get pregnant, have baby, buy my dream home, help a specific number of families purchase and refinance, be one of the top ten loan officers at my company, make a certain amount of money, have a certain amount in savings, etc…. ALL ON MY VISION BOARD. ALL ACCOMPLISHED. Coincidence? I think not. Don’t get me wrong… you can’t just write shit down on your vision board and not work or do anything and expect miracles but if you set your visions and your intentions in the beginning of the year and you work hard I am telling you.. you will succeed.
Money means less than you think it does. Don’t get me wrong. Money and financial freedom specifically is an incredible accomplishment to reach. A cushy six or even figure income is absolutely AMAZING, it makes life easier, it allows you to bless others in ways one couldn’t even begin to imagine and afford a sense of convenience FOR SURE but you know what it doesn’t do…. give you your health or the health or those you love. These last few years have been tough, loss of life, illness, uncertainty. It has been difficult, but specifically this year.. well specifically November 24th, 2021 I realized how money actually means jack shit when the person you love is sick. You know what money can’t buy? Health. When my son Ryder was born last month 8 weeks early he was rushed to the NICU where he was immediately put on a ventilator and other medical interventions. It was terrifying. What was even more terrifying was knowing that there was absolutely nothing I could do to help him. Sure I could talk to him and touch him through the incubator but I definitely couldn’t write a check to assure his protection or wellness to get home. So the lesson I learned here is don’t work yourself until there’s nothing left. Don’t work so hard you don’t take care of yourself. Don’t work so hard you miss special occasions with the family or that you’re not present at the dinner table with your kids. Life is precious and time is fleeting and you can’t get your health or those special moments back with the people you love God forbid their time comes. Thankfully Ryder did phenomenal and he is home now but while there are a lot of things money can buy health is not one of them.
You are stronger than you think you are. Yes YOU. I know life is hard and sometimes we get caught in the grind or a terrible situation at work or home. Sometimes we are dealt real shit cards but I am telling you.. you are stronger than you ever imagined. Just when you think you have hit rock bottom or can’t handle even one more thing.. trust me you can. Sometimes even we have wonderful things going on but they are stressful or require a lot from you. This year I planned a wedding, got pregnant unexpectedly, then moved a wedding up three months during the busiest wedding year in history, had an engagement party, a gender reveal, a bridal shower, a bachelorette party, a wedding, a honeymoon, a birthday, sold a house, packed a house, bought a new house, gutted the new house, moved, had a baby shower, dealt with severe pregnancy complications, was forced on bedrest for one month, had an emergency c section, a premature baby, and a 1 month NICU stay… ALL while working fulltime, showing up for my clients and referral partners. While a lot of the things i listed were beautiful, exciting things that doesn’t mean there were challenges every step of the way. There were times, especially just recently with the birth of my son that I wasn’t exactly sure how I was going to get through it all but somehow I did and it’s because just when you think you don’t have it in you anymore, you do. You just have to dig.
Real estate is a tremendous investment. I know what you’re thinking… I am just saying this because I do mortgages for a living but actually I promise that is NOT why. Real estate and the acquisition of it can 1000% change your life and your financial situation for the better. I can not tell you how many families and individuals I have helped out of terrible financial situations this year due to their ability to buy and sell real estate. How many families have cash out the equity of their homes to pay off tremendous credit card debt that would surely have ruined them if it continued into retirement. Or how many families were able to stop renting and throwing money out the window to invest in their families future. Let alone my own personal experience this year. Seven years ago I bought a hoarders house, for which many people called me crazy for doing… that same house this year grossed me enough income to purchase my family a dream home, gut and renovate the entire thing, pay for a wedding AND pay off some debt… with enough money to invest and save for my future. Now, tell me… how the hell would I have done that all without that home? I wouldn’t have. Or I don’t know maybe I would have but it would have taken a HELL of a lot longer and I would have had to work a HELL of a lot harder. So the lesson here.. it may be scary, you may not know where to start but take the plunge and get into real estate. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT.
All in all this was a wonderful year with so many accomplishments both personally and professionally. So much was learned and there was so much happiness and love surrounding us. Truly though it was a year we will NEVER forget. So many beautiful life milestones… becoming a wife and a first time mom has been life changing. I want to thank all of my amazing friends and family for your unwavering support and to my past clients and referral partners… without you I wouldn’t get to do what I love for a living. Thank you for always trusting me and my team with your finance needs. So with that said, I wish you all health, wealth, happiness and prosperity wherever 2022 brings you. I look forward to working with you in the year to come!
