Gary Woltal - Associate Broker REALTOR® Dallas Ft. Worth

Numbers have always fascinated me and I have been one of those people who have always been good with numbers and math.

From the early days of even plain arithmetic, the adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing of numbers it all seemed so orderly to me.

I encountered the short lived "New Math" concepts at one time where from what I could tell they were making the simple four types of calculations more complicated with symbols like circles and triangles.

"New Math", like "New Coke" was too way out there for most people and the basics returned. But there is a new math that still can be observed.

The New Math where 1 + 1 = 3

This new math refers to synergy. The sum is greater than the individual parts. I see this in real estate with partners completing a transaction or project all the time.

You will also see it in life with other teams you are associated with. It is beautiful how everyone contributes to the whole. And in the end it is far better than what one person alone could do. Many heads are smarter than one often.

Recognize your key talents and those you choose for your team and make the end result a masterpiece. We all deserve to create works of art in the world.

A group of research scientists studying images from Google Earth and looking at broad herds of cows across the earth have concluded that predominantly cows align themselves in a field in a north-south direction. Cows are social animals and sit down before a rain and huddle in a circle during a blizzard. But on sunny days when they are carefree they align facing either north or south.

WHY ARE THESE MAGNETIC COWS IMPORTANT TO YOUR LIFE?

Because it is a life lesson that sometimes we really don't know in our business or personal lives the why or how of something. The old expression that covers this is "it is what it is."

Folks, there's something called "reality" which too many in business or personal relationships just like to run away from constantly.

Think of real estate. The same size home that sold for $50,000 more last year doesn't fetch that price anymore. A home may just have a poor location or no one likes the floorplan. It may be a cycle of the market where EVERYTHING is down. The neighborhood just "in reality"may be deteriorating. It may be a strong seller or buyers market. Another reality.

How's this for reality in our personal life? Some people will lie to you. People are who they are and you can't change them. Some business partners or acquaintances just are not competent or reliable. Some processes set in place by someone else are broken and you can't fix them.

So remember the cows who just do their own thing for who knows why or who cares. It is just reality. The sooner you stop torturing yourself trying to change the way things are that are not going to change, the better.

Living in reality allows you to grow and change the one thing that you can make the best improvement on. And that is WONDERFUL YOU!!!

With many people you will encounter in real estate business transactions and also in your personal life, sometimes I wonder if they don't know that they are not playing their music.

I think all of us have something very unique to offer to others and the world. Think of it like your sheet music with your very unique song.

It seems to be more spontaneous that it comes out of us when we are very young but gets dulled as we get older.

Can you imagine that? Getting dulled to yourself? Who ought to know you better than you? Well many forget who they really are, their interests, dreams and desires.

I do think this being de-sensitized to ourselves comes from the distraction of busyness. Now more than ever we can drown our own world with the noise from the outside.

Look at children for example and laughter. It naturally happens. They laugh so much more than adults. Maybe it is the lack of responsibility but I think it is a mindset of being free to be who they are in their core as well.

I've always been a fan of the three phrases on the left to live the good life.

It really isn't that hard to connect with others and in particular your self.

Practice especially the laughing and loving and the living well will come to you. Afterall, living well is what you were born to do. It is YOUR SONG!!

KFC had this recent story about doing security improvements at their headquarters in Louisville, KY. They had to temporarily remove the yellowed piece of paper in a double locked filing cabinet that had the hand signed in pencil by Harland Sanders the secret recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken. You know the 11 herbs and spices. The filing cabinet was inside a vault with only two people having access to it. The "exact" mix of the herbs along with samples was contained in the cabinet. Believe it or not, an armored car with security guards was going to whisk the formula temporarily away to an undisclosed location.

AP Photo / Bruce Shreiner

Is all this really necessary? Don't you think in life secret recipes are passe'? With KFC it is a huge part of their branding. Think at McDonald's. Yes, this ace Realtor used to wear a paper hat in a past life and remembers the Big Mac "secret sauce." What about Coca Cola? Don't think a winning formula is important? Talk to the guy who bombed out with the "New Coke" years ago. Short lived as a bomb of a product, the company soon returned to "Classic Coke."

As professional Realtors, Stagers, Inspectors, Loan Officers and others serving the public, we all can get good training, and practice our craft. But what is your "Secret Recipe?"

Local Professionals Develop their Secret Recipe.

I say, local, because what makes you different with your level of service is in competition with others "locally." Whether you are the short sale specialist, neighborhood expert, Inspector to call on in a zip code, FHA new home buyer loan guy or gal to go to, Feng Shui guru of Long Island, Stager extraordinarire of Danville, California, Farm and Ranch in Texas, second homes in British Columbia or Myrtle Beach, or luxury home lister in the Chicago burbs, figure out why you are so good.

A social network "across the country" allows you to steal (borrow) ideas from others that are not in your marketplace. Don't be a secret agent as they say, but do find what works for you, your secret recipe. And no loose lips in this area. It is what will put you on top for what you do best!!

In visiting a lake front project under development this past weekend it occurred to me how orderly everything was. Ground was leveled, roads took shape with paving, lots were surveyed, marketing signs promoted the new area, and eventually over time you could see a new wonderful living area being fashioned from the ground up. In all our plans in life we have to

FOCUS ON THE BIG PICTURE.

Begin with the end in mind. Like in chess, you don't get to the end game with a checkmate without seeing multiple steps out.

Why is this important?

By having a vision, of knowing as best possible what the end state looks like, you can plot a roadmap with timelines and steps to get where you want to go. You can prioritize. You can sequence the steps in proper order.

I bring this up because many people in their lives have fuzzy destinations. They want to be rich. They want to be successful. They want to have a loving relationship. In order to achieve these things we need to work on being specific. Success might be like becoming financially independent. Well how much money per month do you need, so you'll know it when you arrive? What does that loving relationship look like? A person or children that love you for being you? Think about "exactly" what the end point looks like.

In golf they say if you can SEE the shot, you can make the shot. Think of where the flag is on that tenth fairway as you hit your ball over the tree to get to the putting green. Imagine it "clearly." You never know. You might surprise yourself and with that last swing of yours it lofts over the tree, hits the green, and rolls right in the cup. Then you'll know there is something to this visualization thing. It's not all fluff. But VERY, VERY REAL. You deserve to be that kind of winner in life!