In Part I of this post, we said this:
“When it comes to business and finances, most folks are so… ordinary. And maybe that’s fine for them. But not for you. Not if you’re reading this blog.
Because you are after a level of success ‒ financial freedom, work-life balance, and the ability to make an impact ‒ that few people will ever attain. You are… extraordinary.”
We also used this definition of extraordinary: “Very unusual or remarkable; unusually great.” It comes from two words: extra ‒ “out of”, and ordinary ‒ “normal, having no special or distinctive features.”
The main idea of that post was: To be an extraordinary person, avoid doing what everyone else is doing! In other words, we focused on the “not ordinary” part of living an extraordinary life. This time, we’ll look more at the “extra” part of the equation – the “unusually great” part.
Here goes…
Always Aim for the Highest, the Best, the Deeply Meaningful
Tim Ferriss said it so well: “When you try to do something big it’s hard to fail completely.”
I agree completely. (Seeherefor more of my thinking on this.)
It’s like when a kid starts looking around the neighborhood at all the lawns people pay good money for others to mow. Now some kids look at that and say, “I can’t wait till I’m old enough to cut grass. I bet I’ll make a lot of money.” Good stuff. Nothing wrong with that at all. Although…
It is a pretty ordinary way to think.
Other kids, though, look at all those yards and say, “I think I’ll make deals with all these neighbors to mow their grass for them – and then I’ll pay a couple of other kids to actually do the work for less. I’ll pocket the difference.” That’s even better. It’s entrepreneurial… it’s different…
It’s extraordinary.
Whether that young man or woman makes a lot of money or not, it’s clear they have an eye for opportunity, and the ability to Think Big.
Fact is, I think too many people are… bored. And they’re bored because their goals and ambitions are too small. WAY too small.
So when you look at your business… think about that next family vacation… or ask yourself what you want out of life… don’t settle for “easy” or “comfortable” ideas. Dig deep – and aim high!
Always Invest in Relationships
So, it’s time to give some credit to Taylor Swift. This lady’s obviously got a head for business… and she may just know a thing or two about relationships as well. Here’s what she said:
“Relationships are like traffic lights. And I just have this theory that I can only exist in a relationship if it’s a green light.”
Now I don’t know if she’s talking about romantic connections, or business, or what. But I don’t think it matters for our purposes. ‘Cause she’s absolutely correct…
If you want to create and build wealth… if you want to make bigger and better deals… if you want the deepest level of intimacy with your spouse… if you’re after anything that involves asking another person to trust you…
Then you understand that everything in life is about relationships. Every single thing.
Money, trust, deals, introductions, time hanging out with folks and laughing, invitations, great memories, partnerships, “opportunities” – they all flow out of the connections we have with others, and the quality of those connections.
So when we invest in others… we’re really investing in ourselves. And we’re ultimately setting the stage for all the doors we need to open in our lives, to actually open.
Always Embrace… And Revel In… The Struggle
“You can’t always control what goes on outside, but you can always control what goes on inside.” That’s from Dr. Wayne Dyer – and I couldn’t have said it better myself.
I’m no psychologist, but there’s a useful distinction that may be helpful here: the difference between “eustress” and “distress.”
Eu-stress is good. It’s when we respond in a healthy way to stress factors in our life, whether they’re internal or external. Eustress is related to the idea that when we meet a challenge successfully, we feel good about it. We know we’ve grown and expanded our capacities.
Dis-tress is bad. It’s an unhealthy response to stressors. It leaves us feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, “stuck” in some part of our lives, and even affects our physical health. It’s what most people mean when they say “I’m stressed out.”
Listen, there are always going to be things that bring stress into our lives. And that’s not altogether bad – after all, that’s how we grow! We need the challenges of life to call forth our best characteristics.
What we want is to develop healthy responses to these stressors, so that we let this eustress be a part of our ongoing growth and personal development. And we want to have enough self-awareness to recognize when we’re letting ourselves fall into states of distress. We want to see that as a series of bad habits we need to change.
This is a huge deal, because it puts us in control. Simply reacting to pressure and saying “I’m stressed” just shows that we’re not trying to distinguish between good and bad stress – and it makes it likely we’ll just try to “escape the stress.” In other words, miss many of the opportunities life gives us to push ourselves and excel.
Forget that! We want to embrace the pressure and let it mold us into stronger, wiser, and more successful people. That’s why we love The Struggle… that’s why we embrace the sweat and the tears.
Conclusion
To be an extraordinary person, who lives an extraordinary life, you must actively pursue things that are above and beyond the merely ordinary. You must concern yourself with the highest, the best, the deeply meaningful. You must always invest in relationships, valuing them more than anything else. You must embrace and then revel in the great struggles of life.
These are extraordinary attitudes and practices – and they are a major part of how you live an extraordinary life.
Give us a call at (801) 990-5109 or schedule your free appointment hereto build a personalized Wealth Plan. We’ll help you invest in real estate the right way ‒ a truly extraordinary way.
