Rob Report: April 2018

• April 2018
• Blog

  Greetings WCAR Members!

I had the good fortune to listen to Rick Rigsby deliver an amazing motivational talk recently at a gathering of Association Executives.  Normally, I don’t get too amped up for these talks.  I’ve become a bit jaded over the years, having seen what seems like hundreds of motivational speakers.  In fact, I usually find trite the catch phrases that are thrown around at these talks.  You know the ones, “thinking outside the box”; “aha moments”; “new paradigms”; “find the why”; and a dozen more cliché phrases.    The takeaways from Rigsby, however, were spot on, impactful and relevant.

He talked about some of the essential elements that we need to make a part of our daily lives.  Things like arriving early for appointments, meetings, classes, church….whatever.  Things like not accepting “good enough” and pushing for ”better”, and ultimately for “best.”  Things like showing kindness to everyone we contact throughout our days and our lives, showing respect for loved ones and friends.   He encouraged us to make statements of affirmation to ourselves each day and strive for excellence in all we do.  

This all seems like common-sense stuff, and that’s exactly what it is.  But, we’ve lost our way in recent years in this country and we’ve focused more on the short term and the instant gratification stuff, then we have on the substance and the things that bring long term success and happiness.   We look up to the glamorous and ignore the real.   We judge and take great pleasure from pointing out the negatives rather than reveling in the positives.  Just look at the negativity on social media if you need confirmation.

He relayed this information through a series of stories about his life, how his father, who had to drop out of school after the 3^rd grade to help with family responsibilities, proved to be the smartest man he has ever known; someone who instilled in him the principles and moral compass to seek substance and kindness over ego and judgement.   He reflected on meeting and marrying the most wonderful woman in the world, having two sons and then losing her to cancer when their children were still young.   But, emerging a few years later to find another soulmate who has balanced his life ever since.

I particularly liked one of his quotes, that “ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity.”  Deep, but true.  We live in a world that would be a lot better place if people could only check their egos at the door and learn to work collaboratively.  I believe there were about a thousand people that heard his message that day who will begin to adjust the way they approach all elements of their lives going forward.  I know that I will.

As REALTORS®, y’all abide by the Code of Ethics, which is basically a protracted version of The Golden Rule.   It’s another common-sense ideal that seems so simple, but which is not always adhered to in our day-to-day business.   Maybe it’s time we all re-commit to a more positive, common-sense approach to life and business.  It couldn’t hurt.

Rob Wigton

WCAR EVP