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Vanessa Warwick · 26-09-2012, 09:04 AM

There are three quotes below which I found very inspirational and relevant to property:

“If you’re not networking, you’re not working.” -- Denis Waitley, Author, Psychologist and Motivational Speaker

“Effective people are not problem-minded; they’re opportunity-minded. They feed opportunities and starve problems.” —Stephen Covey

“Success in any field, but especially in business is about working with people, not against them.” -- Keith Ferrazzi, Author, Business Consultant, and Speaker

Which is your favourite quote in the context of property, and why?

Related discussions:

Recipe for property success

A winner's mindset in property

12 things successful people do differently

Mark Alexander · 26-09-2012, 05:39 PM

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity whereas an optimist see the opportunity in every difficulty - good landlords, however, need to be realists.

Chase the thinking behind the results, not just the results.

Negative influence is like a plant, if you stop feeding it it will die.

My favourite of all time is on a wall next to my business partners desk "the marvellous thing about not planning is that failure always comes as a complete surprise and is not preceded by periods of stress and worry".

Daniel Booth · 26-09-2012, 05:59 PM

"A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step" is my personal favourite.

Vanessa Warwick · 26-09-2012, 07:21 PM

Thanks for the comments.

Some people say quotes like these are "cheesy".

However, I find that, very often, when I need some inspiration, I will come across a quote that is perfect for the thing I have on my mind, and it helps me "decide forwards". © Rob Moore, Progressive. Smile

Talk of which, Rob's post which I showcased recently was such a such a great piece of writing that I hope more people will see it >>> here.

I love the saying:

You can either rise to the level of your abilities, or fall to the level of your excuses

and

If you don't get what you want out of life, you didn't want it badly enough or you haggled over the price. (i.e. you weren't willing to make sacrifices).

Angela Bryant · 27-09-2012, 08:27 AM

Some of my favourite quotes that I find relevant to property, I have to say are ones that I put in my book:-) Including:

"Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practised every day, while failure is simply a few errors in judgement, repeated every day. It is the accumulative weight of our disciplines and our judgements that leads us to either fortune or failure." Jim Rohn

"Most people over-estimate what they can accomplish in a year - and under-estimate what they can accomplish in a decade." Anthony Robbins

"The heights by great men reached and kept,
Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upward in the night."
Henry Wandsworth Longfellow

I wrestled with an idea for a quote on Managing Your Tenants before I thought of the great classic Desiderata, from which I included an excerpt... see if you can guess what! Here it is in full:

DESIDERATA

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, Desiderata

John Corey · 27-09-2012, 10:52 AM

(26-09-2012 07:21 PM)vanessa warwick Wrote: Some people say quotes like these are "cheesy".

I find the people who reject inspirational quotes rather cheesy. Best to avoid them as they could infect others. They do not get just how much they drag down themselves and those around them.

Vanessa Warwick · 28-09-2012, 07:36 AM

Thanks for all the great comments!

Someone shared this with me yesterday:

The pursuit of success:

- 1% know the answer

- 2% are searching for the answer

- 97% don’t understand the question

When it comes to property, how do you find the people that know the 1%?!

Does that question make me in the 2% or the 97%? :0

Kevin Wright · 28-09-2012, 08:11 AM

I would define the difference like this Vanessa....

I guess the 1% have exactly the level of lifestyle that suits them; if they need more they know exactly what to do to get it, pretty much like turning on a tap.

The 2% are still working out exactly how to get to that point in a way that works for them but they are awake to the possibilities.

The other 97% sleepwalk through life oblivious to just how much you can create for yourself if you want to

Jonathan Clarke · 28-09-2012, 08:31 AM

I like and agree with Daniels quote the best. I am biased though as that is the one I chose to put on my business card!

`A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Step`

To me it symbolises the relative ease in which we are all in the same boat to start with and that we all can put one foot in front of the other today to do something towards our goal. Some choose to take that step some prefer the comfort of the sofa. The quote for me also recognises that 1000 miles is a long way away and you have to have some determination resilience and resolve to complete that journey successfully.

Starting is not finishing........... Its the bits in between that count.

(26-09-2012 05:59 PM)daniel_booth Wrote: "A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step" is my personal favourite.

(28-09-2012 08:11 AM)Kevin Wright Wrote: I would define the difference like this Vanessa....

I guess the 1% have exactly the level of lifestyle that suits them; if they need more they know exactly what to do to get it, pretty much like turning on a tap.

The 2% are still working out exactly how to get to that point in a way that works for them but they are awake to the possibilities.

The other 97% sleepwalk through life oblivious to just how much you can create for yourself if you want to

I agree with the sentiment but I cant help feeling the figures are a bit harsh and extreme
I see many many people wide awake and struggling to get on day in day out to succeed. Its just they methodology is sometimes suspect.

Maybe more like .....

10% have got it more or less right
70% are wide awake and striving but some are good at it some not so good.
20% are sleepwalkers

Just an observation though - no scientific basis for my percentages!

`Failing to plan is planning to Fail ` is one quote that I like and I hear myself voicing every now and then when i see peoples lack of preparation and attention to detail.
I`m always turning the quote on myself mercilessly when I do things on the hoof and try to wing it.

Vanessa Warwick · 28-09-2012, 08:53 AM

Thanks for joining this thread Kevin. I would like to point out that it was you who shared the % quote with me. Smile

@JC

I like the "thousand miles" quote as well. It alludes to determination, persistence, constancy, consistency ... all needed to be any kind of entrepreneur! Breaking things down into small steps, and taking action every day is also a great way to look at a property investment journey.

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