An interesting local story this week got me to thinking about how it relates to us in our business. Let me share the story.
A local dinner theater closed it's doors after many years in the business.
The unknowing cast showed up to perform "Evita" but were greeted by a note attached to locked doors. It was also payday so not only did the entire cast learn they would not be paid but were unemployed. Double ouch!
How did they react? There in the rain, they performed a glorious and brave final act. Without benefit of costumes or props they sang, danced and performed for a meager crowd.
The show went on.
This heartwarming story brought tears to my eyes. It is an example of dedicated people continuing on in the face of adversity. They obviously loved their work and didn't want to disappoint the audience. The troupe living in the moment expressed a joy and dedication to their work.
Their behavior and response was a fine tribute to the performers who came before them, the final show ended with its own kind of power and grace.
Each day we face the possibility of rejection. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. How we act in either event is a measure of our success.
We can lose, and still maintain the dignity and grace of a professional, then we are winners. If we lose and resort to anger we lose twice.
Our business isn't about winning all the time, it's about moving forward, getting better and enjoying the journey.
I love the line from an old move called, "The Unsinkable Molly Brown." Molly was a poor girl who married and became rich. She lived through rich and poor, survived the Titanic and continued on to become part of Denver's Society. One of her lines in the movie was, "We ain't down yet!"
We ain't down until we stop trying.
Post a comment
Temporarily disabled — coming soon!
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
Powered by the ActiveRain Real Estate Network
© 2008 ActiveRain Corp. All Rights Reserved
Wow! What a powerful story, Kristal. Thank you.
Interesting. It reminds me of escapades in a Canadian TV show, very funny, called Slings and Arrows about a small theatrical company. Very funny if you have ever been involved in theater at any level.
Wow! What a powerful story, Kristal. Thank you. I agree with Mariana excellent posting. Tommy
Mariana ~ I thought it was a good story, glad you agree!
Steven ~ I haven't been involved on stage since grade school...there is a reason for everything! :)
kk
I second and third that! Move forward, get better and enjoy! Sounds like the true journey of life!
Tommy ~ thanks for stopping by, I obviously agree, it is a great story.
kk
KK,
Thanks for sharing.
Your comment that "we don't always win", it's times like that I feel like I learn (and hopefully grow) the most. It's usually a life lesson of sorts.
Sally ~ I like the way you word that, "true journey of life." If we can't enjoy, what is the point!
Lynda ~ LOL, I think we learn somethings more than we really need too...that's one of them!
Kristal, I love this story and how you analysed it. This story is going to be a reminder in the times when I'm down and for sure I'm going to tell the story to my children so they would know to never give up.
They really showed class. That is a great story. I hope they all find quality employment.
True Performers who did not let a dark theater darken their spirits...really a great, uplifting story! And the show did go on! Brava Kristal for posting about this, thank you.
Kristal, at first glance I thought this post was about a local dinner theater, and I started to pass it by. I was wrong. It's a good lesson about life itself. It goes on.
Good post.
kk: Isn’t it amazing how some people respond to adversity? This is a most inspiring story—glad you shared it with us.
JayKrystal,
Beautiful Story, very inspiring! The show must go on! Thank you
Kristal - An excellent message with a lovely photo to match it. You always seem to put it all together.
Don't laugh but I have some experience in the performing end...I studied acting and have performed and a funny one was actually not a theatre performance but a trailer commercial I was called for. The pay s-cked and it was a lot of physical work... we spend 10 hours doing this piece and along with the physical attributes...the weather was cold...I was not working full-time so it was tough to earn a dime..anyway when we finished the job we were to be paid 2 weeks later..turns out we got screwed for all that work and never got a dime. So I can appreciate this story and hope the people find their way to new employment. This happens a lot in that industry..even on very well known TV shows and when the series ends they do not find out until that day.
I see the same thing happening right now. With the slow re market I see people giving up and going home while some of us are singing in the rain.
A very moving story. If this does not give one the motivation to hit it, I don't know what will.
And very apropos of real estate practice today. Don't let the down trend get you, well, down. Cycles go up and down. Agents and brokers have recently enjoyed record breaking sales and earnings. So, things aren't so good now. This is not the time to slow down.
I just hope that folks saved some money from some of that record breaking sales and earnings. They are going to need it.
The key to these slow times is the same spirit shown by those brave showmen. Keep going.
Beautiful Story, Krystal and beautiful post to go with it. I love the simple fact that you don't have many choices when you get knocked down.....you can stay there or just get up and dust yourself off....again :) Thanks for a lovely Monday inspiration.
WOW, this is one of those analogies that will stick with me. The tulips in the snow is a perfect photo to illustrate the moral of the story. You are such an inspiration in everything you write!
Kristal - This is not only a powerful story, you have said it so eloquently. Thank you for this great reminder that life will not always be perfect, yet it is the way we respond to what life hands us that separates the wheat from the chaff. Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!
Life is what we make of it...thanks.
Nice job KK. i didn't know you had a blog. :)
Very powerful Kristal!
Kristal,
I really enjoyed your post. Too often, we measure our worth on whether a buyer or seller selects us. I hope your post touches someone today who will benefit.
"It 'ain't' over , till it's over...and it 'ain't' over yet!" is one that I've always heard. Good post.
Losing with dignity is a lost art. So is winning with class. These guys lost. But they are winners.
The trick to losing is starting again. Beautiful Post Thank you.
Not the point, but which dinner theater?
Great poignant story Kristal. Things are tough in this business but we must push onwards.
Nice story.. It makes one stop and think.
Very inspiring story and your words Kristal are even more inspiring - thank you - I'm sure we needed this on a Monday!
Kristal, Nice post. And in the famous, eloquent, words of Winston Churchill... "never, never, never give up".
You can't lose until you quit in this game!
Bob Mitchell
ValueList Real Estate Services, Inc.
Wow! Just when I was feeling a bit overwhelmed, and wondering how long I can continue. Thanks!
What a nice message. It is more like a marathon and less like a sprint, isnt it?
spoken with grace...that is a touching story and it is a great reminder that our attitude determines how we will interpret our day.
What an amazing story, Kristal. Dedication, commitment, and love for their craft...isn't that what it's all about? It is times like those when people's true colors shine through. Thank you for a wonderful post.
Jeff
Love it! Alas, we'll always have the folks who thrive on whining no matter the market conditions-it's always someone else's fault. But you also always have the ones who sing no matter what.
Incredible story i thank them for their courageous act and doing what they do best in their profession you are absolutely right when you correlate it to our real estate work,we must deliver good services at all times inspite of the adversities we face. Bravo to all of them.
what a powerful story and photo - thanks for sharing
Kristal,
You just have a knack for saying the right thing at the right time. Surviving with Class. Love the photo, Survivor! This only applies to those who actually have "feelings". There are those that are survivors because they are emotionless!
Kristal,
What a great story. The show must go on...we too must go on, we have to keep going. Happy Memorial Day
Kristal very well put!!! We can either look at adversity as a challenge and rise up above it or we can let it pull us down and defeat us. I chose to put adversity behind me and move forward towards the future.
A timely lesson! Well-spoken and inspirational. Thank you.
Kristal,
This was a powerful post and reminds me of the inspratioanal poem Don't Quit
Thanks For the reminder!
Ginger
Great attitude we all should have when dealing with every client.
Great story, Kristal. Like the actors, sometimes we have to "act" too, because we're there for our clients, and their experience is critical. More actors like those in your story would certainly elevate our profession.
That is a beautiful story, Kristal, and it relates to every area in life! Thanks for sharing.
Good story. All anyone can do is make the best of what they have, where they are. Keep your head up and look for the next opportunity.
Kristal,
What a great post. When these people got delt a bad hand, they didn't hang their heads and give up. They stood tall, heads held high, and performed as they said that they would. So not only did they still have their self respect, but they gained the respect of those that came and watched them. A good lesson for us all. Thanks, have a great day.
Kristal,
Thank you for writing this.
Have a wonderful week.
Great Story~
Love the analogy for us in real estate. Thanks, I do enjoy the journey.
Amen. Thanks for the pick-me-up!
Jack
Kristal,
Thanks for the reminder that it's the process that counts. I continue to strive to give my clients the very best I can give. I have found that to do that, I need to take care of myself with a day off now and then and some quiet time to reflect on how I'm doing and how I can be better.
Great post. It is so true. We are sometimes are own worst enemies. It's easier to give up than to fight it out!
KK - great story - you do it so well! I gave you some link-love in my Localism post tdoay- held you up as a great role model - speaking from experience :-) So you may see some new faces!
The analogy you found and that you shared it with this incredible photo that says it all are two reasons why I subscribe to your BLOG. Thank you!
Great post Kristal! What a great story, and I fully agree that it's the journey and your persistence that count.
BRAVO! Great post! These 2 lines summed it up for me:
"Our business isn't about winning all the time, it's about moving forward, getting better and enjoying the journey"
"We ain't down until we stop trying"
Keep up the GREAT work!
Kristal, well written, and a beautiful graphic, too. It's not what happens to us, it's how we react to what happens to us.
Perfect post for all of the Realtors, Lenders, and other related professions. It was well said---I hear scared people everyday in the office, not used to today's market. This is a great time to work on ourselves and to slow down and "enjoy the journey."
I have been watching this in the news. How the actors responded was incredible.
Thank you Krystal!! This story inspired me to keep pressing forward.
Kristal,
How fitting to today's dismal market conditions in many regions. It's all up to you and your attitude as how you manage hardship and eventually come out of it. It often is easier said than done, though. Yet, it's achievable.
How about this for a worthwhile comment:
People will walk over you until you stand up!
kk-Even with so many comments.. just wanted to say.. this is terrific.. I would hav eloved to have seen them.. hope they find a new home soon..
kk-Even with so many comments..#72 here... just wanted to say.. this is terrific.. I would have loved to have seen them.. hope they find a new home soon..
Thank you everyone for such wonderful comments and support! I am always thrilled to read your stories, comments and perspectives! What an awesome group we have, our own bloggers standing in the rain!
I'm off for a short ROAD TRIP tomorrow and I need to get some sleep...
I'll be blogging from the car...maybe, ttyl,
kk
p.s. did I say THANK YOU? THANK YOU!!!!
Very cool story. What good is anything that you do if you're not proud of it and don't love it, at least in some aspect? As crazy as it sounds to some people, I used to work at a grocery store, and I loved it. I made a difference EVERY DAY THAT I WAS THERE in someone's life. I was very proud of my work, and a lot of people locally recognize me for that, even after all these years. :)
KK - There are no short road trips from Denver!
Wow, great stuff Kristal. Even before I read this, I became a subscriber...was given the heads up by a few smart souls here.
This story, this post, says so much about perseverance and the power it has in making us a success in any endeavor in life. I've passed this post on to several of my peers, I'll be sifting through your 'Amazing' 400 Plus Posts along the way. Thanks!
Kristal, I loved the picture of the tulips thrusting their blooms bravely through the ground cover of snow! A picture is worth a thousand words. Like you said in your post...we are the ones who make the decision to move forward...not the market! Thanks for a great post.
Kristal, They were amazing and inspiring. The show must go on. Thanks for the encouragement and wonderful analogy.