Shifting Sand - The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock. After a recent challenge to read the book, SHIFT by Gary Keller, I pulled the book out of one of my drawers (where it had been sitting for approximately 9 months) and I decided to read it. After digesting several chapters, my mind quickly wandered to my childhood years. I was raised by a single mother, who was stricken with Multiple Sclerosis for the better part of my life. We were poor welfare kids (and we knew it), who lived in HUD rentals, and waited in line once a month for free cheese and butter. As a child, I remember feeling embarrassed by our unfortunate circumstances. As an adult, I have learned from these experiences and I have gained an awesome sense of appreciation and determination to succeed.
After reading the book, SHIFT, I found that the chapter, Re-Margin Your Business - Expense Management, really resonated with me. Once again, my thoughts shifted back to my childhood, remembering a song I used to sing in Sunday School; "The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock." Some of you may be familiar with the origins of this song from the Biblical passage, Matthew 7:24-27
"Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock. And when the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on the house, it did not fall, because it had been built on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."
Perhaps this profound passage written thousands of years ago is still relevant today. In his book, SHIFT, Gary Keller draws a striking parallel for building a solid foundation for your real estate business by controlling your expenses. In a volatile real estate market, if is often unpredictable and impossible for us to control our income. However, by cutting the "bloat" from our expenses and by watching the bottom line more carefully, you can become profitable in a shifting market. Just like building a house, a good business requires a set of plans and a solid foundation. "Protect your margin and get smart with your money... when you lead from a position of profit, your world is full of possibilites," says Mr. Keller. Sounds like great advice coming from the wise man who built his house upon the rock!
Click Here to purchase Gary Keller's book, SHIFT, How Top Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times
