Christa LaFarlette

"...my awareness will remain established in defenselessness. I will relinquish the need to defend my point of view. I will feel no need to convince or persuade others to accept my point of view. I will remain open to all points of view and not be rigidly attached to any one of them"

---The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success

As a sale professional in a hard hit real estate market the above quote really hit home. As I call folks during the day and try to ‘convince' them that they need my services and persuade them to see my point it becomes crazy ridiculous. What if the approach is just to tell them all about the solution I have for them, show how I can help them do the next thing with their property, and then let it ride. See and not defend my points. Listen and observe what the buyer or sellers here in Jacksonville have to say is right for them. Perfect!

I may be harder than it soundsJ Stay tuned----

---Christa

"...wherever I go, and whoever I encounter, I will bring them a gift. The gift may be a compliment, a flower, or a prayer. Today, I will give something to everyone I come into contact with, and so I will begin the process of circulating joy, wealth and affluence in my life and in the lives of others."

----Anon

This has completely changed my life. In so many ways we go to the store, or the bank and talk about nothing. We take for granted those around us, and those we love. And most of all those who make the wheels turn. You know those who make every day everything possible! I want to be one of those people, I want to be one of those Realtors, I want to be that kind of friend, I want to be that kind of wife. I want to be that kind of follower. I want to be that kind of mom, especially to my handicap child. It's that important.

So, there it is. Wednesday is the middle of the week, but I do not want to be a middle of the week person. I want to be the best darn Realtor Jacksonville has ever seen! (and the best person)

----Christa, wife, mother, Realtor, friend, blogger:-)

So, I've sort of started my new year already! An assistant of sorts doing all my research work (OMGosh, I am saving tons of time just with this one change), started working on my new goals (is that cheating?) and best of all---working on balance in life:-) Which has been lacking this year (as noted in my lack of blogging).

I cannot wait to get 2009 off and running here in Jacksonville! We have BIG things this year--husband retires, kid to kindergarten and another to the military (maybe). And we are going to tackle 'those projects'--you know, the ones that are put off, um, indefinately! And, we will expand our pet ratio in the home--maybe.

It is alot to start off a new year----what are some of your resolutions, confirmations, and do's? Please share if inclined! Maybe it will spark some new ideas!

This morning as I was chugging along at my local YMCA I though about, and had a conversation about, how much I really miss the great Northwest. You see, we are a military family that relocated from Washington--land of rain, to Florida--land of humid heat! And that seems to just be how it is in September...

The funny part of it all, is that both are good. We chatted about the struggles of getting to know a new place, how it can take up to 2 years--on average to figure it all out---and that when I was in Washington I yearned for the heat. As we watch the tropics, and view the list of hurricane items it is easy to forget how much I really do love Orange Park. The friends we have made, the weather I enjoy year 'round, and now that we are well over 2-years how the kids and family have all settled in.

Which made me think about how often times I forget to mention to those moving that it can take up to 2 years to really get to know what's going on. Like why the fall festival is important. Which way on I10 leads to the beach (um, both--one just takes alot longer). And where the local farmers markets are. Hopefully, this is something that I'll remember as time goes on----that the details are equally important!

Have a fabulous day---I am watching a dark rain cloud in the very blue sky drift overhead. Kind of like a 'surprise house' where the interior is not reflected by the exterior, that cloud could be good!

----Christa