Have you ever been a writer? If so, you may have experienced writer’s block. What’s the key to unlock ideas. Inspiration. But what inspires me? Inspiration can come from anywhere at any time.
This is the time of year when we many of us focus on Gratitude. Every morning, I make a conscious effort to acknowledge things in my life for which I am grateful. For me, it’s really an effective way to start my day. Each day, I start with exercise, for which I’m grateful that I can do. Today, as I headed out for my run with my dog, the morning light was just breaking. It’s one of my favorite times of the day as the light changes by the minute.
I noticed the beautiful trees on my street and how the early light enhanced the amazing color changes of fall. Leaves of golden yellow, fiery red and fall orange all mixed in with remaining green and splattered by the background of the beautiful homes. It was spectacular. At that moment, I felt grateful. Grateful that I could see the trees. Grateful that I live in such an amazing area. Grateful to have the life I have and surrounded by the people in my life. And that was my inspiration. My mind raced with ideas.
I remember a scene from Cheers, a hilarious comedy series in the 80s that went something like this: Sam had a bad day and his girlfriend, Diane says, “Well, at least you have your health.” Sam gets irate as he notes that that’s what you say to someone when that’s all they have. While the scene was very funny to me then, as the years go by, I am sure grateful for my health. I’m lucky. It seems to run in my family. My mom just celebrated her 89th birthday.
She did it in style. She goes to a local gym to do cardio-drumming and the gym owners celebrate her as she’s their only octogenarian. My mom is looking forward to being their only 90-yr old member next year. I didn’t know what you call that “arian”. I looked it up. It’s a nonagenarian. Who knew? She also is in a ukulele orchestra and leads fund-raising efforts to raise money to buy ukuleles. Then she takes them to the schools to introduce kids to ukulele and music. I’m so proud of my mom and she is an inspiration.
I’m grateful to have a successful 2nd career. My roots are in the technology sector, working for a Fortune 500 company and for a handful of startup companies. My heart and joy are in local residential real estate. Not only am I grateful for its success, but I’m also grateful that it’s introduced me to so many wonderful people. Many have become such good friends.
Clients and friends share their personal lives. We talk about our families, careers & hobbies. We do things together. They introduce me to new ideas and activities. I learn so much about them and find it endlessly interesting. Unfortunately, recently, I’ve had clients share about their loss of loved ones. Many passed too soon, and all have left behind loved ones that miss them dearly. I’m grateful that they feel that they can share their sorrow with me, and their stories help me be grateful for today.
My todays become yesterdays. I’m grateful to have been able to travel to lots of places, experience lots of activities and see lots of things. My tomorrows become todays. I’m grateful for my yesterdays. Especially spending time with my wonderful wife, Lynne. Some of my memories that I value the most are simple and almost mundane. Something as simple as sitting on the beach, doing nothing. Or eating an ice cream in a new place. Just as long as I’m with her. I’m grateful for her and our two beautiful daughters. My tomorrows? My wife says I worry about the future, sometimes at the expense of today. I’m grateful that I do trust that The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades (OK, who had Timbuk 3 on their Bingo card?).
How about today’s Today? Every holiday season, I host an event and invite friends and clients (it’s impossible to tell them apart) for an evening of fun. It’s an outwardly way to show them my gratitude. I’m sure that they have no idea of how it makes me feel to see them come and enjoy themselves and talk to me. They have no idea of how much I just enjoy a simple text from them.
From young people that are first time homebuyers, to elderly folks that are moving because they need additional assistance, they all bring a warm feeling to me. One woman called me to help her sell her home and said, “I know I’d use you to sell my home and I wanted to meet you before my demise.” What? Did she really say that? Her comment initially knocked me off balance but was replaced by Gratitude. Turns out she likes pie and tea. So that’s what we do. She is a treasure. And I hope it’s a long time until I sell her home through her loved ones.
Oh yeah. I mentioned “Writer’s Block”. Simply seeing those trees on my street triggered all of the feelings that led to getting the words on this page as fast as I can. This column practically wrote itself. That happens when you’re writing from your heart about what you love.
As my readers know, in each column, I write about our local real estate and provide some statistics that you may find interesting. This month, I’ll keep it short. El Dorado Hills, Folsom and the surrounding areas are an amazing place to live. Everyone knows that. Compared to last year, the number of homes sold year-to-date is down, the number of homes on the market is low and homes take longer to sell. Existing homeowners love this area and maybe love their low interest mortgage even more. HaHa. It’s well-known that others are drawn to our area because they can have so much right here so buyers keep trying to buy homes here. Selling real estate here is a dream. I’m grateful every day.
I hope you have your best holiday season ever. Happy Thanksgiving. Gratitude is where you find it. Sometimes it just pops into your life. If you’re so inclined, I’d really enjoy hearing from you about your gratitude. I’d be grateful that you took the time to share (& have read my column. LOL). Just text or email your thoughts. I’ll be streaming Cheers while I try to keep up with my mom at the gym.
I love where I live. I’m excited to continue to help more families in 2023 with their real estate needs. With proper planning and a good Realtor (Luckily, I know a really good one….), you can smoothly get to your next stage in life. For more tips on how to successfully navigate the real estate purchase or sale, or suggestions on Folsom topics, please contact me at 916.812.4341, pquan@cbnorcal.com, www.PatQuan.com. CA DRE #01918240