Pink Slips

These are tough times. For me it is the toughest time I have been through. I have always said that being your own boss is great because you have control over your destiny. This is true since I have yet to receive a pink slip. However, I will be honest and tell you that there are days that I wish I would find a big shiny pink slip in my mailbox. If you are a true believer in everything happens for a reason, a pink slip just could be that kick you need to change.

So if you are in charge of your own pink slip how do you come to the conclusion that change has come your way and it is time to embrace it? Two years ago when I was looking at the change that was imminent in the mortgage and real estate business I began to prepare. It was time to downsize and trim expenses. My real estate team was prepared for the storm. So we thought.

The year 2008 brought the ultimate financial storm. The mortgage industry came to a halt. Foreclosures began to show their ugly face. The stock market took the ride down faster then anyone could imagine. These events are not going to leave anyone unscathed. The unemployment numbers are just starting to rise. I have watched my peers leave the industry in staggering numbers. I even lost a friend in the mortgage industry to a heart attack. The phone rarely rings and days become longer and lonelier. But still no pink slip for me.

Is it time to wave the white flag? Is the real estate industry coming back anytime soon? Do I need to write my own pink slip? This is the time that we all need examine who we are, what skills we have, where our hearts are currently and what direction it wants us to follow.

I have spent countless hours reflecting and it has not all been torture. I have taken time to enjoy my husbands travel benefits. I have spent hours driving from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas and then to Los Angeles. I just got back from spending time on the beach alone. It is important for me to go into the holiday season with some sense of direction. I am writing today to tell you that I will not be writing my pink slip. I have 15 years experience in the real estate industry. I have been fortunate to get a very wide range of experience within the industry. I am passionate about helping people. I know that home is where the heart is. Whether that home is temporary or permanent and whether it is for your family or your business. My skills and values make this job of being a real estate advisor perfect for me. Yes change is inevitable. The real estate and mortgage industries have changed and will never resemble what any of us had come accustom to. Things seem to be settling down or it just may be the eye of the storm. Either way my heart is telling me loud and clear that I will be riding the storm out. I am prepared for it to look different and I am excited for the opportunity to embrace change outside of my control. Whether you have received a pink slip or not, this is the time that we get to practice asking for and giving help at the same time getting a lesson in letting go and reaching for faith. It is a time for us to remember where we came from. We are Americans. Obstacles and hardship is what we were born of. As you go in to the holiday season be grateful for all that you have received, even if it was pink.