I'm flying high off the Obama Kool-aid injection. His inagural speech was a little like overdosing on spiked optimism kool-aid. . I give his inagural speech credit for this post.
I'm not writing as a democrat, or a republican, but as an optimist. If you tend to more of a skeptic or a glass-half empty type of person let me explain this optimistic mind set I'm experiencing. People close to me have called it entreprenurial angst, hubrus of youth, even naivite. It happens when you look at the world and ask "how can we get it done?" and not "these are the obstacles we face." You see, this optimistic take charge get-it-done kind of thinking gets you thinking about the next steps that need to be taken, and the problem solving to take them. It's a nose to the grind stone, get out of my way because I'm on a mission, bull in a china shop, take no prisnors kind of attitude. It's a head buzz, butterflies in your stomach kind of energy that makes you feel like you'll explode unless you move forward with the next steps on your mission.
THIS is how I feel when I'm working on solutions to help seniors whether it's to help them stay in their home, or move out of their home of 40+ years. It's what drives me to continue to write articles on Real Sage Advice, start a website that allows seniors and their familes to search for senior housing, write articles for the Gilbert Guide, volunteer with a block nurse program, teach classes on working with seniors to other real estate agents, hold seminars for seniors on real estate issues that effect them, and continue to educate seniors and their families on services available to them.
I often meet with families that have been dealing with loss and fear for a long time before I'm introduced to them. The phone calls I get from the adult children of aging parents have undertones of fear and panic combined with suspiciousness of this real estate agent who claims to know how to help.
The family has often spent so much time focusing on the obstacles that stand in the way of dealing with their aging parent they aren't able to problem solve around them. This paralysis keeps them from finding answers and taking steps to allieve both their own fear and worry about their parents, but also their parent's fear. Or, often, there's one member of the family trying to "do it all." Take care of their own family plus their aging parents to the physical and financial demise of all.
No matter what challenges you face this year, whether it's personal, business or family, my hope for you is that you find a way to navigate your way through the obstacles presented to you. Navigate your way uncover options and move forward. Perservere. Just believe that Yes, you can.
