I joined the Optimist Club about 10 years ago. Although I had many not so positive thoughts prior to joining, I thought it would give me direction and new perspective on my life. As an example of the true optimism of my club, we first met at a hospital every morning at 7:30. Demands for space pressured the hospital to give us notice to find a new location. We then began meeting at our new venue, the nursing home. We met for about a year and they too asked us to find a new location as their demands for space forced their decision. You can guess where we meet now… a funeral home! I’m not kidding. I dread to think where our next location will be. You know we are an optimistic bunch!

At our club we recite a creed about optimism which I thought I would share with you today. This creed has guided me over the years when events and daily trials and tribulations began to wear on me. The creed has healing powers if you truly try your best to understand and live by the 10 statements. Why don’t you read the creed, and see if life can be enjoyed more, and lived fuller if you make an effort to see life as half full.

Promise Yourself:

• To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
• To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
• To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
• To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
• To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.
• To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
• To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
• To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
• To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
• To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

I realize that we are humans and subject to mood swings and times of sorrow. We can only give it our best shot. But, even if you change a little for the better, and worry just a bit less, your life can become more fulfilling and open doors to you that you thought were closed.

What does this have to do with real estate? Everything. In my 28 years, I have watched my senior clients go through the process of moving after years in their homes. The folks with a negative attitude, expecting dread at every corner, usually found it! There is a saying, “if you expect the best, or the worst, you will be right”. My clients who were positive about their move, expecting excitement and happiness in their new homes found what they were looking for.

Many studies are displaying a correlation between a positive attitude and good health. I used to tell my children that they did not own their face. It belongs to the public because they have to look at it! So, keep a smile, even if it hurts some days, and watch how your life changes for the better. When confronted by challenges such as moving, focus on the freedom and convenience of your new home. Focus on simplifying your life and spending more time on the things you enjoy. It’s nice to stay in our comfort zones, but so many times it can be isolating and unfulfilling. Expect the best and try saying the Optimist Creed for a few days and see if you feel better and good things begin to come your way!

Tags: attitude, mood swings, negative, optimistic

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008 at 3:16 pm and is filed under Can I Sell My Home?. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.