The Real Estate Agent called. The seller wants to meet me at the property so I can look around. I guess this is customary so I’ve agreed to it.
The meeting is for this afternoon.
Things are moving fast!!
I came to a realization today.
I was having lunch with a friend. Actually he’s a co-worker. Every other day, he and I get together for lunch. During this time, we spend it doing what most other employees do. We complain. We complain because this person is an idiot, or our boss is an idiot, or the company sucks . . . or any number of other things we can think of. But our conversation always revolves around complaining.
I never realized what kind of an impact complaining had on me. When I returned to my cubicle, I was completely drained. No, it wasn’t because I ate too much at lunch. I honestly believe it was because I had done nothing but spew out negativity for nearly two hours. And I was doing this three and sometimes four times a week. My afternoon would be shot and, in the evening, I wouldn’t really feel like doing anything.
This isn’t a kum-by-ya speech where I’m saying to ignore the negative aspects of life. I believe in balance. Yin and Yang. But I don’t believe that you have to dwell on the negativity unless you choose to. Being surrounded by like-minded co-workers, I have found that negativity is contagious. If two people are being negative and a third person joins their conversation, they too become negative very quickly. This has happened to me before. This very thing.
This morning, I decided to try an experiment. I went to my co-workers cubicle, just to say good morning. He was there and immediately started spewing out negativity. I tried for two minutes to get him to talk about something positive but no matter what I said he responded with negativity. Rather than stand there and listen to it, I choose to leave.
And I felt the better for it.
There’s nothing I can really do about the people I work with. I can’t change my boss.
So why complain about it? I’ve got more important things to do with my time.
From now on, I stop complaining about my job, the company I work for, my boss, and my co-workers.
I can’t take the stress now.
It’s been 1 day since I submitted my offer and no word yet. UGH!! The suspense is killing me. I didn’t sleep a wink last night. I could only think about how I’m going to have these properties. I’ve told a few people and I noticed that I’m saying the phrase "with my houses" as if I already own the houses.
That has to be a good sign!!
I don’t want to call and bother the Real Estate Agent. He’s got plenty to do. He’ll let me know.
Mental phone call to Real Estate Agent "Call me . . . call me . . . call me . . ."
I pulled up in front of the houses. My first thought was "These houses are the crappiest houses on the street."
It is two houses, both rentals. They have been rentals for a long time (around 20 years) so they’ve seen better days. The yard is filled with garbage and kid’s toys. There’s a dead car sitting in the driveway.
On driving around the cul-de-sac, the neighborhood looks good. Only one house has the bars on the windows and that house is really old.
I picked up my cell phone.
Agent: "What do you think?"
Clifford: "They’re perfect. I’ll take them."
Agent: "I already submitted the offer."
It appears that the first offer had already been accepted by the seller. But the lady extending the offer backed out at the last minute. What the Real Estate Agent was hoping to do was substitute her offer with mine. But with five other offers on the plate, I’m not sure if that will transpire. The Real Estate Agent told me that it is the seller’s choice on who he will sell to. I have to sell myself as the best candidate.
Can you believe that?
This is not what I’m use to all. But with all of our offers being the same, I guess this is what happens. And hopefully the Real Estate Agent can work some magic behind the scenes to make me look good.
If anyone can pull this off, it’s him.
Today at 10:23 a.m., my cell rang. It was the Real Estate Agent.
Agent: "What are you doing?"
Clifford: "Whatever you need me to do."
Agent: "Good! I got a house that’s going to fall out of escrow. You need to go see it now."
Clifford: (getting up from desk, walking towards door) "Where’s it at?"
Agent: "Here’s the address. Call me when you get there."
Clifford: "I’m on my way."
That was fast!!
