We All Look The Same

Me laughing as I try, unsuccessfully, to remain upright on the ice (tricky - very tricky). After several attempts, my daughter gave me her arm and, together, we skated joyfully around the arena. Joyful for me because I hadn't been on skates in almost twenty years. I'm determined to give it a go again this year because I do love to skate.

I feel that I laugh at myself much more since I acquired white hair. It's definitely easier not to take oneself seriously at this age. Life in general seems more humorous.

My white hair brought a funny situation recently.

Now that I'm back at work, I needed a better computer than my old laptop. A clever young man at Staples explained the choices for monitor, keyboard, etc. When I asked about the features I should look for, he invariably went to how each worked for gaming, followed by a shy ‘but you’re not looking for that’ sort of comment. 

We managed to settle on what would work for business purposes and I made my way to the checkout with what I could carry. He went back to the warehouse to get the monitor I’d chosen and, as he returned to the counter, he went to another white-haired woman at the other end. I did a “yoo-hoo, over here” sort of thing and tried to cover the embarrassment he clearly felt by saying “It’s okay. We all look the same.”

After he helped me to my car with my purchases, I drove away, grinning all the way back to the office.

A Good Book is the Answer to Life

 "I can feel infinitely alive curled up on the sofa reading a good book."

                                                                                                      Benedict Cumberbatch

I know exactly what he means. My reading journey began as a young child and stayed with me as life evolved through adulthood. My happy places were always libraries and book stores, bringing instant calm to my mind as I crossed the threshold.

Books have given me "oh, me too!" moments. They have challenged my acquired beliefs and understanding. The best stories have catapulted me from the reality around me (and sometimes kept me awake long into the night). My life was happily filled with books.

Until I enrolled in university at an advanced age. Reading for pure pleasure was a necessary sacrifice to create time for the textbooks and research needed for each course. Fascinating stuff but a prescribed reading list doesn't hold the same delight as finding a new novel on the shelf by a favourite author.

Surprisingly, I didn't return to reading for pleasure after graduation. Looking back, I'm not sure how I filled my spare time but there was a definite gap in my reading consumption for a few years.

I thank COVID for bringing it back into my life. The library initiated on-line ordering and pick up (in paper bags, at the door - seems surreal now) and my journey back began. A steady stream of books filled my days which re-ignited my love for a good story. 

I am happy to say the love continues, although, with everything else going on in life right now, it does take me considerably longer to finish a book.

So, as the snow falls, light a fire (or at least some candles) and curl up with that good book waiting for you.

Clearing out our Stuff

Photo courtesy of HGTV - Home Staging Essentials

I have had my house staged for two moves. Staging in my case meant clearing out and moving things around, or adding plants to get the most impact.

Immediately after, I remember thinking “the house looks and feels so empty”. After a few days, however, of living in the cleared rooms, I realized I was breathing easier (figuratively speaking). I felt a new sense of calm that had been missing while I was still surrounded by my ‘stuff’.

This made me curious about why I had accumulated so much, filling my rooms with things not really needed and yet loved. Moving them out made me question this need for ‘more’.

The overriding take-away from this experience was to re-value my own space and how I fill it. If I feel less than calm, it’s time to remove or, at the very least, move things around. I owe it to myself to create an atmosphere that nurtures my inner peace.

Of course, if you are truly staging for an upcoming move, there are resources out there to help you. I found the attached HGTV article had some useful tips.

https://www.hgtv.com/lifestyle/real-estate/15-secrets-of-home-staging-pictures

I will no longer wait until my house is going on the market to create a calming environment.

The Courage to Go Forth

"I remembered that the real world was wide, and that a varied field of hopes and  fears, of sensations and excitements, awaited those who had courage to go forth into its expanse."                                               Charlotte Bronte, from Jane Eyre

Over the initial weeks in real estate, I will admit to moments of uncertainty. My new direction sometimes felt a step too far. But this feeling was not new to me. I had experienced it twice before in my life.

The first was in 2006. Everything in life was leading me in the direction of a long-held dream - to open a retail shop. And yet, as I took the many steps required to get the business up and running, I frequently found myself struggling with one foot which tended to drag back to my comfortable, known world.

Until the day that a random sign in a shop explained why I was dragging.

The sign said “What would you do if you had no fear?”

It was fear that held me back. With that new understanding, I found the courage to push forward and complete the journey, creating a beautiful store that I will forever be proud of.

The fear resurfaced a number of years later as I completed the book I had been working on for eight years. The decision to publish (vs just sharing with my family and friends) was a weighty one. Publishing put 'me' out there, not just the woman I had written about.

But I had gone too far with the book to hold back. I pushed the fear aside and sent it to print. This book has taken me on journeys I could never have imagined and introduced me to people I would not have otherwise met.

Six years later, I am still signing books for people who have just discovered the story. My imagination could never have equaled the reality that has come about by publishing.

The human condition is to want what is safe. The unknown can be a frightening place but it is in unearthing the unknown that we discover our strengths; our gifts; our abilities. My experience in creating and running my store and publishing a book instilled the courage in me to take on real estate.

What would you do if you had no fear?

You Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks

Society would have us believe that, upon reaching a certain age, we will think and act as seniors; happy in retirement with the tricks we know. Surprisingly, after a few years of doing just that, I found I wanted more out of my career life than I had attained. Plainly put ... I wasn't finished.

So, a new life goal was hatched; one that will make use of my life's experiences, education and knowledge: Real Estate.

Over the past weeks, I’ve felt like a racehorse at the starting gate, ready to take off. After eight months of study, exams and real estate transaction simulation exercises, I was ready.

But, turns out, study was just the beginning. First, Century 21 sent in my application for registration as a Realtor®. While we waited for this, there were organizations to join, insurance to get, software to learn and branding to establish.

Finally, the day arrived with news that I am a registered Realtor®. I’m thrilled and more than ready for the joys and challenges of this new career. I will give it my all.

I feel such excitement for the months ahead. The unknown beckons me.

Many of you know I also like to write. I’ll share highlights of my journey here, along with intriguing things I’m learning (because we’re never too old to learn) and whatever else I think might be of interest.