Nancy Lohman's Real Estate Blog, Home Resource

ENGAGE IT!

Ever driven a car? Of course you have, but what makes it move?

You enter a car with a standard transmission, place it in neutral, and start the engine. It idles - waiting for what? The engine is running, but you are going nowhere. What must be done to get to your destination?

Your vehicle is like your mind and body. Goethe says, "Are you in earnest? . . . Boldness has genius, power and magic in it." He questions whether you are in earnest . . . calls attention to the fact that there is genius, power and magic in boldness. It's like your vehicle idling in neutral. It has the power to take you wherever you want to go . . . yet is goes nowhere - until what happens?

"Only engage," urges Goethe. The only thing keeping you from moving is your willingness to engage. Place the transmission in first gear, and what happens? You begin moving - slowly at first. Moving the gearshift into 2nd, your movement speeds up. As it does, you are soon in 3rd, and well on the way to your destination.

Goethe speaks of achieving your objectives in life: "Only engage, and then the mind grows heated . . . ." In other words, put your life in gear - get started - get moving! When you do . . . when your "mind grows heated" . . . that which you desire to achieve will be attracted to you.

So - what do you say? Are you in earnest?

BE FREE!

In Stephen Covey's "Seven Habits," he talks about focusing on the important to the exclusion of the unimportant. In his own words, "The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing."

See if you recognize which motivational trainer espoused this similar philosophy:

"There are things within your power, and there are things beyond your power. Within your power are opinion, aim, desire, aversion; in a word, whatever affairs are your own. Beyond your power are body, property, reputation, office; in a word, affairs not properly your own. Concern yourself only with what is within your power.

The essence of good consists of things within your own power; with them there is no room for envy or emulation. For your part, do not desire to be a general, or a senator, or a consul, but to be free; and the only way to do this is a disregard of things which do not lie within your own power."

If you guessed Zig Ziglar, Howard Brinton, or Anthony Robbins, guess again. Its author referred to it as a "field manual for soldiers." It was carried by Frederick the Great on all his campaigns. It was written by the Stoic philosopher Epictetus.

Stephen Covey conveys a similar message when he suggests drawing two concentric circles with a dot in the middle. He equates the dot in the middle to you, the first circle as your area of influence, and the outside circle as your area of concern. He suggests that you concentrate only on the circle of influence, things which you have the power to influence or change. He advises that you disregard those in the area of concern over which you have no influence or power.

It would be our pleasure at the Lohman Team to help you with all your real estate needs. We buy and sell homes in Toledo, Sylvania, Perrysburg, Monclova, Maumee, and surrounding greater Toledo. Feel free to call us anytime.

Nancy Lohman 419-360-4735          Bob Lohman  419-360-4437          

 Nancy Stemmle  419-867-3898       Kim Iott   419-466-8926    

LIVE WITH PASSION!

When you're ready to ride, don't wear your Nikes. Put on your boots and spurs, and let your horse know you mean to ride hard. Then - ride with passion.

How many times have you thought of achieving a dream - only to spend more time in the dreaming and planning than in the doing? No problem - we all do it from time to time. The old nemesis - fear of failure and the unknown - haunts all of us occasionally, keeping us from reaching our objective.

Think back to the last time you took action with a burning passion! Were you competing for a gold medal, fighting for your life under adverse circumstances, or vying for the heart of your beloved? Something was motivating you to the limit, and you refused to quit.

So, what's your passion right now - today? Maybe it's an education, a new career, getting in shape, having more freedom, money & status, or closer family ties. Whatever your desired direction in life, put on your spurs, mount your horse, and hit the trail! There's no greater joy in life than putting everything you've got into an achievement - and then realizing you've overcome all the obstacles.

Ride hard, buckaroo!

It would be our pleasure at the Lohman Team to help you with all your real estate needs. We buy and sell homes in Toledo, Sylvania, Perrysburg, Monclova, Maumee, and surrounding greater Toledo. Feel free to call us anytime.

Nancy Lohman 419-360-4735          Bob Lohman  419-360-4437          

 Nancy Stemmle  419-867-3898       Kim Iott   419-466-8926    

ELIMINATE THE BOX!

It was refreshing to read the article entitled "Thirty Under Thirty" in the REALTOR(r) magazine. Thirty agents under the age of thirty talked about their approach to real estate, and most seemed to "think outside the box." They didn't appear to be bound by conventional rules of marketing conduct. Think back to when you were a young child. You were totally uninhibited by rules, so you weren't afraid to try new things.

Back then, there wasn't even a "box" to confine your thinking or actions. You did whatever worked for you. Then, you began to grow up and your parents, then your teachers, began building a box for you. "Stay in line, be quiet, don't touch this or that," they admonished. "Good little girls and boys don't talk back, eat snacks between meals, or chew with their mouths open. "The rules got more sophisticated as you got older, and you began to conform. Now you're all grown up, comfortable in the box the world built for you, and it's not so easy anymore to "think outside the box".

Not so for the newcomers - the youth of the real estate industry. They are enthusiastic, energetic, and with their "no rules" thinking, they're going to mop up on those competitors who are too comfortable in their box. If you've been in the business for more than ten years, you have one powerful advantage over the newbies - real estate wisdom. You're a survivor and know your way around the business. Now it's just a question of combining that base of knowledge with some of the unfettered new thinking of the under 30 crowd. Old dogs CAN learn new tricks, after all!

It would be our pleasure at the Lohman Team to help you with all your real estate needs. We buy and sell homes in Toledo, Sylvania, Perrysburg, Monclova, Maumee, and surrounding greater Toledo. Feel free to call us anytime.

Nancy Lohman 419-360-4735          Bob Lohman  419-360-4437          

 Nancy Stemmle  419-867-3898       Kim Iott   419-466-8926    

GIVE YOURSELF A LIFT!

Have you ever aspired to be deeply depressed? On your list of major life's achievements, have you included becoming an itinerant ne'er-do-well? Does your daily task list include hanging out at the local pub, gossiping over the back fence with nosy neighbors, or spending time with a loser who does nothing but grouse about how the world has dealt him a lousy hand?

Did that first paragraph seem to pull you down? Did you say, "Ridiculous! Who would want to do those things?" If so, congratulations, you've already received this week's message.

Now, let's give this message a lift.

Have you ever met someone with a bright inspiring spirit about them, and thought to yourself, "Wow, I'd like to know them better!" Have you noticed that when you attend a community education course, you leave with many fresh new ideas and a powerful boost in your attitude? A well-known quote says, "You are what you think about all day long." If you hang out with the losers, your thoughts are likely to be dark and depressing. Spend time with those who possess magic in their attitude and enthusiastic vitality in their work ethic, and your thoughts are likely to soar.

Take a close look at your list of goals for this year. Have you included the addition of positive new personal relationships in your work and play environment? Remember that "to have a friend, you must first be a friend." Consider expanding your sphere of contacts to include those who would inspire you to greatness!

It would be our pleasure at the Lohman Team to help you with all your real estate needs. We buy and sell homes in Toledo, Sylvania, Perrysburg, Monclova, Maumee, and surrounding greater Toledo. Feel free to call us anytime.

Nancy Lohman 419-360-4735          Bob Lohman  419-360-4437          

 Nancy Stemmle  419-867-3898       Kim Iott   419-466-8926    

DUPLICATE YOURSELF!

Watch young children on the playground and you will notice them trying to duplicate each other. One hangs upside down on the monkey bars, and soon everyone is doing the same. Check out a pre-teen with a punky new hair-do, or a new style of "radical" footwear, and soon their friends are following suit.

It continues in high school too, with "tricked out" hot cars and cell phones. So . . . is it any wonder that we attempt to duplicate each other as adults as well? We look at our desk mate's approach to getting new business, then we do the same - regardless of the fact that said desk mate is getting no results.

Is there an alternative to this senseless copy-cat approach to life? Yes - but making the change may not be so easy. You begin by looking inside rather than outside. With all the distractions competing for your attention, this may be the most difficult step. Nevertheless, take a look inside to determine your best talents and skills. Ask yourself, "What do I do well? What are my strengths? What do I enjoy doing most?"

Next, write yourself a plan that incorporates your answers into a personal action plan. Remember, you were born an original, so put that originality to work. To help the plan work, avoid distractions from those who question your new direction, and learn to "duplicate yourself".

To avoid distractions, consider moving your desk, working from a home office, or avoiding the social scene at your office. Focus your time and attention on achieving your new-found objectives. To duplicate yourself, hire assistants to prepare direct mail or update your website. Avoid all tasks that you can hire someone else to do.

In short, live and act the part of the original you really are!

It would be our pleasure at the Lohman Team to help you with all your real estate needs. We buy and sell homes in Toledo, Sylvania, Perrysburg, Monclova, Maumee, and surrounding greater Toledo. Feel free to call us anytime.

Nancy Lohman     419-360-4735    Bob Lohman    419-360-4437  

 Nancy Stemmle   419-867-3898    Kim Iott          419-466-8926 

~ Anonymous

DRAW YOUR OWN MAP!

Imagine you've planned the trip of your dreams - say from North Carolina to Colorado. You've charted all the roads, have a fist full of maps just in case, and have your priorities straight in your mind. You get started on a beautiful sunny day, and begin enjoying the ride.

Late in the day, as you approach the Mississippi River, you drive straight into a bank of heavy fog. You turn on your lights, but still cannot see 10 feet ahead. Just because the highway is out of sight doesn't mean you've lost your way. Continuing on the path you've set for yourself, you soon break out into the sunshine again - still headed in the direction of your dreams.

In perspective, consider that the trip represents your life's goal - your first priority. Steering your vehicle down the highway hour by hour represents your efforts to reach your goal. The fog bank illustrates the momentary interruptions and obstacles encountered on your journey.

As day #2 begins, you find that you've come to an unexpected intersection - one that's not on your map. Confused, you pull over and examine the map closely. Stay to the right and you'll end up in Colorado. Take a left and you may arrive at an unanticipated, yet equally wonderful destination.

OK, let's cut to the chase! Sometimes your priorities change, don't they? Just as you think your goal is in sight, a new opportunity arises. Remember the saying that "life is a journey - not a destination"? What's exciting is that YOU are in control of the steering wheel, and whatever destination you choose is OK - so long as it's YOU who has made the choice.

Happy motoring!

WHICH BOUQUET DO YOU PREFER?

Whether or not you have a green thumb, you probably know that gardens may contain either annual or perennial flower varieties. Annuals are fun to grow for several reasons: 1) they sprout quickly from seeds, 2) they flower the first year, and 3) their colors can be brilliant and most pleasing. They are also less hardy and die out at the first sign of frost. Each spring, new seeds must be planted.

Perennials are another story. Growing from seeds, they take longer to sprout and rarely flower the first year. Their colors are more subtle hues, and they require more attention in the early stages. They must be cut back in the winter and covered with mulch, and may require fertilizer in the spring. They also come back year after year, returning with stronger roots, greater beauty and abundant growth. With time, they require less and less attention, yet continue to prosper. No matter how cold the winter, they always return with renewed vigor.

Friendships and business relationships are a lot like flowers, and may also be either annual or perennial in nature. They may be quick to bloom and most enjoyable to experience, yet fade quickly at the first hint of trouble.

Others grow more gradually through trust-building and respect. They may not dazzle the senses or leave us breathless, yet they are consistent, trusting, and produce a warm glow that hardly fades when tested by adversity. These relationships grow over time, and produce an abundance of lasting beauty.

In business, as in personal relationships, the best things in life come with time and caring. When planning your life's garden this spring, why not devote your attention to the perennials? With an added touch of patience, you can look forward to the sweet fragrances to come.

It would be our pleasure at the Lohman Team to help you with all your real estate needs. We buy and sell homes in Toledo, Sylvania, Perrysburg, Monclova, Maumee, and surrounding greater Toledo. Feel free to call us anytime.

Nancy Lohman 419-360-4735   Bob Lohman 419-360-4437

 Nancy Stemmle 419-867-3898  Kim Iott 419-466-8926

Nancy's website

DON'T GET TOO COMFORTABLE!

Are you enjoying the good times? Have you achieved your goals and become comfortable in the knowledge that you have reached the zenith of your life and career? But wait! Hold on just a minute. What if things were to change suddenly . . . and you ended up back at the proverbial "Square One"?

Maybe that's already happened to you a time or two. Perhaps your career took a sudden turn in a direction you hadn't anticipated, or a health problem caught you totally by surprise. What did you do then? Were you paralyzed by fear? Did you feel cheated, or angry? Did you blame circumstances for your new situation?

No doubt you are able to rationalize objectively that all of us face change from time to time, that it's a part of life. It's difficult, however, to be objective when change suddenly stares you straight in the eye.

Some answers popped up this week to the challenges of change. You'll find those answers in a short, easy-to-read book entitled "Who Moved My Cheese?" Written by Spencer Johnson (co-author of "The One-Minute Manager"), it's the story of two little mice named "Sniffy" and "Scurry" and two little people the size of mice called "Hem" and Haw." The story traces the whimsical challenges faced by these tiny characters as they travel through the maze called "real life."

If you have ever been challenged by change in your world, you'll find comfort and sage advice in this simple story. It's waiting for you to read, and it's worth the short time you'll need to absorb the lessons it contains. This is a great story - don't miss it!

It would be our pleasure at the Lohman Team to help you with all your real estate needs. We buy and sell homes in Toledo, Sylvania, Perrysburg, Monclova, Maumee, and surrounding greater Toledo. Feel free to call us anytime.

Nancy Lohman 419-360-4735   Bob Lohman 419-360-4437

 Nancy Stemmle 419-867-3898  Kim Iott 419-466-8926

Nancy's website

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