Tis’ the season:

Since we are rapidly approaching the Holidays, I thought I would take this opportunity to step away from the real estate centered content that I typically contribute and simply share some of my favorite quotes, notes, books and general information.. I hope you enjoy!.

Buy and read these books:

The Psychology of Money – Morgan Housel

Can’t hurt me – David Goggins (Audio version is fantastic)

And if you are looking for a great read to share with your kids, don’t forget about the classic

My side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George.

Hard work, sacrifice and success:

Steve Jobs once said that “If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time.” Which also ties in nicely with the statement

“The greater the sacrifice, the greater the reward”

which I heard famous outdoor athlete Cameron Hanes say on a podcast recently.

The going is tough:

“Adversity introduces a man to himself” -Attributed to Albert Einstein We are facing unprecedented times and many are having difficulty persevering through what seems like an endless stream of bad news and negativity. While it is impossible to naively fool ourselves into believing that “it’s all going to be fine” putting things into perspective can help us take control of our lives. In Matthew McConaughey’s new book Green Lights (I highly recommend this one as well) he tells the story of his Mother’s response to childhood complaints about his shoes being too old. “Keep griping” she said “And I will take you to meet the boy who has no feet.” We live in a world where our basic human needs are met in a way that our ancestors could have only dreamed of… Food is so abundant that for the first time in history more people suffer from diseases of obesity than from malnutrition or lack of food. We are warmed by hitting a switch, cooled by hitting a switch and entertained by hitting a switch. This is not to say that there are not people who truly need help. Challenges abound, but when we look at things in perspective and through a lens of gratitude, it can change how “bad” things are in our own lives…

Stay in your lane:

Another challenge that many face today is the undeniable power of social media to leave us with the impression that everyone else is doing better than we are. I once heard an expert in the field of evolutionary psychology say that “To compare ourselves to one another is a natural human trait.” He gave an example of two farmers growing the same crop on nearby farms. If one has a substantially better yield than another, the farmer with the inferior crop is going to naturally look to see what the other farmer is doing so that he can replicate and improve. He then said “The only difference is that when it comes to social media, everyone’s crop is fake – and that is what you are comparing yourself to.” Pretty powerful when you think about it…

Instant gratification?

We can Google things in seconds that once took hours or days to research. Many suffer from “texting anxiety” and the feeling of being obligated to respond to someone immediately. Cell phone cameras provide us the opportunity to snap a photo and upload or share it within seconds… A byproduct of all of this instantaneous communication is that it has created a very reactionary society… We often feel like we HAVE to get an answer, or deal with a problem right away. That is just can’t wait… However as John Steinbeck once said “It is a common experience that a problem that is difficult at night is often resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it” These are just a few of the things that have caught my interest and peaked my curiosity of late… Do you have a go-to or favorite quote or story that you would like to share? If so, email me at danbosch@sbcglobal.net... I’d love to see it!

Dan Bosch is a Realtor Associate with RE/MAX of Chico and the team leader for the Premier Professionals Real Estate Team... Dan specializes in residential and investment properties. He can be reached at (530) 896-9330 or via email at danbosch@ sbcglobal.net. You can visit his website www.premierteamchico.com and follow him at www.facebook.com/premierteamchico or on Instagram @dan_bosch