This is a bit on the personal side…
In the past couple days, it’s been easier than ever to explain what’s wrong with my dad.
Because now someone super famous has it too.
Aphasia.
Basically a type of dementia that stops you from being able to speak. Memory loss, as in classic dementia, often comes later.
That’s what’s the same with Bruce Willis and my dad.
Interestingly, he’s someone I’ve run across a few times over the years.
(Bruce, not my dad)
First at a restaurant in London. He walked in with Demi (yes, it was a long time ago) and everyone seemed to buzz at once. He had that uber-cool smirk on his face and looked like he could destroy everyone in the room in no time flat.
He looked just like you’d expect.
A few years later I was sitting with my friends at an outdoor restaurant in Sun Valley Idaho after a week-long backpacking adventure.
Bruce came walking down the street on his cell phone. (I’m not sure if he was actually on it, or using it as a foil against people approaching him.)
But that didn’t stop one of my friends from jumping out of his seat and excitedly running up to him.
“Mr Willis, can I shake your hand?”
Bruce looked him dead in the eye.
“Is it clean?” he asked coldly.
“Yes, sir, I just washed it.”
And then they shook hands.
My friend then blurted out “Thanks for makin’ all those kickass movies!!!”
Bruce just looked at him and dryly said, “You’re welcome”.
If his arc follows my father’s, he’ll stop being able to speak soon. But he can still function and do things and will look fairly normal. But no more conversations.
It’s brutal in many ways.
Knowing what was coming, I had some conversations with my dad when he was still able to communicate. I’m glad I did.
These days he’s friendly as always, but can’t get any useful words out.
So, is there a business lesson in this story too?
Yes.
A few actually…
#1 – You have no idea how long you have left, or what that time is even going to be like. So why wait around for everything to be “perfect”? Just do what you want to do now. If that means building a business, then do it now. Otherwise you’ll always regret never having at least tried.
#2 – Do the undone things that you’ve wanted to do. Say the unsaid things you’ve wanted to say. Otherwise you might not be able to.
#3 – When something complicated gets focused on, people figure out a way to explain it easier. It can go from being relatively unknown to known. And therefore it gets easier to handle. The real estate business can be complicated too, but if you learn from someone who’s done it already, then everything goes faster and is clearer, even if it was confusing before.
#4 — There’s probably someone you want to say something to, but haven’t spoken to them in ages. Might be a good time to do that down. Awkward? Yes, probably. But just suck it up and do it.
#5 — What do you want to happen once you pass? If no one knows, or if you don’t have it written out legally, then how would anyone know to do it? Or would endless family arguments erupt that could be avoided if you’d just written it out and expressed YOUR wishes.
#6 – Communication is key. If you lost your ability to write, or speak, or hear, or see, what would you do as an alternative? You have to have a work around you implement if things go wrong.
Yes, these are extreme examples from health, but being prepared to that level in your business helps massively too, as it accounts for things that can, and quite often do, go wrong.
Map it out now, and then it makes building and maintaining business easier no matter what happens.
I’m sure there’s more, but I’m not thinking of them right now.
What I am thinking of is how to get you to tie this all together.
Start with one of my free strategy sessions to see how.
I’m giving away 5 of my “Your Personalized Real Estate Road Map” Strategy Sessions.
You’re eligible if:
1. You believe you should be able to add $100,000 or more to your income in the coming year through real estate investing – even if you don’t know how; and
2. Doing so is your top priority; and
3. You are a self-starter who is taking action
If you’re drawn to real estate investing because you see how it can free you from the 9-to-5 grind that so many others just accept as par for the course; and if you’ve already studied the basics and maybe you’ve even gone out and negotiated a deal or two; but lately you’re starting to feel that things are going much slower than you wanted them to. You’re finding that you’re not attracting the leads and serious sellers you were hoping for. You’re realizing that there’s a gap, a chasm, between what you learn in books and courses and the real world.
You’re getting tired of doing and doing and not seeing it all add up. Not getting the feeling that you’re following the right plan for you. (Or any plan at all, for that matter.)
But still, you know that real estate investing is your ticket. Others around you may think it’s a fantasy, but you know it’s a very achievable dream.
If this is you, apply using the link below.
In this session, you will:
– Create a sense of clarity about the ideal investing strategy for you, your situation, and your aspirations.
– Find out the essential building blocks for building your own mini real estate empire.
– Discover the #1 thing stopping you from having a steady flow of deals that perfectly fit your investment criteria.
– Identify the most powerful actions that will quickly get you to your first freedom milestone.
– Complete the session with the excitement of knowing EXACTLY what to do next.
I am not charging for these, they are my gift to you.
We’ll build your Personal Real Estate Road Map, then if we think any of my programs can help you, we’ll discuss more. If not, no problem, we’ll all just move on, and you’ll be better off for having your road map defined out.
If you want to take advantage of this opportunity, use this link to the application and fill it out now:
Yippie-ki-yay MF!
“Your Personalized Real Estate Road Map” Strategy Session Questionnaire
Tom Zeeb
Traction Real Estate Mentors