One of my martial arts instructors sent me the following quote a while back:
"Fear is your friend, panic is your enemy. Fear will help you get to your goal faster. Panic will either shut you down or send you down an inappropriate course of action for the situation. Unfortunately 'fear' has a bad rap. It has been confused with panic in many self-defense programs, and the resulting goal is to train for 'no fear', this is a mistake! Fear is a motivational message. Even under frightening conditions, a person with enough experience and the proper training can act and accomplish complex processes."
There's a lot of fear out there right now among homebuyers, homesellers, and people sitting on the fence deciding what to do in the current real estate market. Mortgage meltdown, liquidity crisis, Bear Stearns collapse, emergency interest rate drops, foreclosures, short sales, media reports -- all these things weigh on the psyche of those pondering the real estate market.
Don't let your fear turn into panic! Fear is healthy. It forces you to get educated. Fear motivates you to find knowledgeable advisors, trusted friends, and to avoid scary situations like walking down a dark alley alone. Fear puts you on guard and may entice you to learn a new skill. Fear prevents you from doing stupid things.
We do live in a sometimes scary world. My wife motivated, encouraged, begged and pleaded with me to learn martial arts to increase our combined confidence when walking down the streets. Over two years of study has made me aware of my environment, confident that I can protect both of us should any compromising situation arise. We are both more secure because I have diligently studied martial arts (in my case Krav Maga and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu).
Fear prevents panic. Fear prevents irrational thought and actions. As the quote cautions, don't confuse fear with panic.
Realize that it is not necessary to go it alone when navigating the sometimes scary and confusing complex world of real estate. Real estate contracts are legal documents with 20 or more pages of small and detailed legal wording. Buying or selling a home requires knowledge of a whole new vocabulary of jargon -- from appraisals and ARMs to warranties, zoning ordinances, and everything in between.
You work a full-time job. You don't need the added job of struggling on your own to buy or sell a home.
My full-time career is helping people buy and sell real estate in Northern Virginia and Washington D.C.
Don't let fear turn into panic. I'll help protect you when it comes to your biggest investment. If you want, I'll even show you how to throw a mean right hook.
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That is a good point. I do this full time and am very good at what I do. That helps prevent fear for my clients.
great post....maybe some of the wall street boys should read it!
From a fellow martial artist/real estate broker - I know this is off topic a bit but I trained in the Royce Gracie Network for awhile - I see that your school trains Gracie Jiu-Jitsu as well.
If we don't try.....we'll wonder the rest of our lives....in that sense fear is healthy if you get over the fear and take that first step. Great insight into fear vs. panic
"Fear is your friend, panic is your enemy.
Oh that is really good, I like it and so true. The biggest successes come out of our greatest risks, ask Henry Ford,he lived by this moto.
Very well said Brian, I especially like "Fear is healthy. It forces you to get educated"... It's amazing what we can do when we don't have a choice.
Brian - that was really well written! Fear is indeed healthy!
Good job Brian! Great plug for you on Localism.
Martial arts and Yoga help with focus. Focus helps everything.
Fear is focused. Panic is disarray.
Good lesson!
Great post! Some of our greatest accomplishments were stimulated in an effort to avoid the pain and fear of something we did not want. Someone said "Feel the fear and do it anyway."
Brian - It's interesting that you were able to use the concept of fear in such a positive way. I hadn't ever really thought of it in that way - but it can be a tremendous motivator. I like how you were able to make this relate so well to real estate and our current market.
Boy, I don't know about you Brian but I'm sick of fear and I'm sick of panic. Everytime I want to feel either of those emotions I go back on...what am I do right now to make something good happen....the end. Fear and panic work great for the first couple of minutes, days, year, and then............next.
Brian,
Funny as I just returned from the DoJo and read this post. My daughter takes classes 3 days a week and my boyfriend teaches Ju Jitsu and MMA classes five days a week. Soon I will kick it into gear and start taking classes.
Every time I go, I feel like I learn some life lesson. The discipline, the energy, the empowerment are all very real. I hope that some day the real estate industry will be able to garner near the respect that the martial arts studies do. Then you know it will be good times:-)
Brian-Martial Arts philosophy plays a huge role in our household. My husband loves Ju Jitsu and really any of the martial arts. I have learned so much from him...
Fear is my friend...I believe it...and get through it..panic..to me is prevention in the making...it makes most disoriented and most of all affects our better judgement. Fear makes me move...fear makes me take action! Great post.
Brian, Great post. My daughter has been in martial arts for about 2 years also, I am going to share this information with her and use it myself. Thank you.
We all fear the unknown and change. Sometimes we have to step in with both feet to get over the fear.
RANDY: That's the reason we'll always stay in business. Clients need our protection and hand holding to get the deal done. We're always on the lookout for dangers that may lurk around the corner that would destroy or at least maim the home sale or purchase.
JIM: Thanks for your comment. Maybe so.
SUNNY: Yes, we do train in Gracie Jiu Jitsu. I've spent more time on the Krav Maga, but do enjoy the Jiu Jitsu as well. Our head instructor is amazing -- will complete his black belt in BJJ this year.
SALLY: You said it well also. Thanks for your comment.
MISSY: Thanks for your comment. I love the quote too!
MARTI: Thanks for your comments. Some fear can be healthy because it does keep us on guard. When we let our guards down, that leads to panic.
BARBARA JO: Thanks for your very flattering comment.
MIRELA: Thanks for your enlightening comments.
KATHI: Yes, we have to face the fear head-on in order to move forward in life. Things we once feared, like riding a bike, driving a car, etc. are now second nature.
LYNN: Thanks for reading and for your comments. I always tend to be a glass half full kinda guy.
SHANNON: Thanks for your comments. Nobody likes to experience fear or panic, but fear can be a great motivator. It always feels good to do something for the first time and overcome fear and realize that the fear was indeed unwarranted.
REBECCA: Thanks for your comments. It is amazing the discipline that martial arts instills. I've really enjoyed it for the past few years and only wish I had started as a child.
MIDORI: Thanks for your comments and compliments.
RUTH: I think your daughter will really appreciate this.
RUSS: You are exactly right. Thanks for your comment.
Thanks for the post. Sometimes fear is good because when you work to overcome it you become a stronger person.
DEE DEE: Thanks for your comment. I appreciate your added wisdom.