InHouse Spring - 2022

Welcome to SPRING! Yay!!! 

I couldn’t think of anything better to bring you in this season’s Inhouse than one of my favorite Core Values of our great historic real estate company. Embrace Continual Improvement. Picture for a moment what our world would look like if growth never occurred. In the simplest form of the word that would be quite a sight. Babies as far as the eye could see and no one to help them grow into the people that they were created to be. But what if we carried that same thought to the process of growth that occurs in the mind. This growth has a much greater ability to shape the Present and more importantly, the future. 

The most powerful concept and idea that any person will ever practice is Continual Improvement. This concept should be classified as a universal business principle in our lives. A universal principle should be seen as a controlling factor in any outcome and the more it is known and understood, the more it can be leveraged for one’s benefit. Consider gravity. No matter what I believe about gravity it is holding my feet to the ground right this second. If I don’t know about or choose not to believe in gravity, it is still holding my feet firmly to the ground. There are several other principles and laws that will allow me to counteract the effects of gravity. Knowing and understanding these laws and principles will allow me to use these forces as an advantage as opposed to them becoming a hindrance or impediment in my life. Author Jim Rohn has said that we are the average of the 5 people that we spend the most time with. Let’s carry that further with the idea that you are the average of not just the 5 people but of the 5 sources that you learn from. 

This is principle number one that I’d like you to connect with. Make a list of the 5 places or sources where you spend the most time and you will find that your thinking will not have the ability to go beyond those things. For most people in America the list is pretty easy to compile… Television, Social Media, Movies, Internet Games, Magazines. More people can tell me who is married to Brad Pitt than could list the 3 major parts to any business that must exist for it to succeed or the top 3 things you can do to organize your day and minimize stress in your life. But we live each day wondering how is it that some people seem to have success and we seem to be stuck in a rut.

If I told you that you could accomplish incredible things in the world, would you believe me? Why is it that many people feel that they are relegated to be average? Perhaps one of the greatest obstructions to stepping out of the ordinary and attempting to attain the extraordinary is the common opinion, that perhaps I already know everything I need to know. But imagine for a moment that this belief was eradicated from your mind. Picture waking up in the morning with the feeling that you actually did not know what you needed to know in order to survive the day. What would you do? How would your day, week, year and life change? Leaders are learners. Spend a day with the most successful people in the world and you will see they are forever learning. That leads us into the introduction of another universal business principle that will change your future. 

The problems that have been created in our lives cannot be solved with the same thinking under which those problems began. New knowledge and information is necessary to effectively resolve those issues. People tend to look at problems in life and business from one of two perspectives. The first is to throw our hands up in the air and bellow about the miserable hand that we’ve been dealt and to give in to the depression of our bad luck. The second is to understand that practically every issue that we face can be solved if we go on a mission to find the knowledge and information that will lead us to the solution.

What are you willing to believe about yourself and what are you willing to try to do to make it where you want to go? Most of us understand what wisdom is but are we willing to set aside the time necessary to attain it? Wisdom is defined as ‘the body of knowledge and principles that develops within a specified society or period’. If I asked you if you wanted people to consider you to be wise, of course the answer would be a resounding yes. So what is the path to attaining this wisdom? That is entirely up to you.

Let me tell you a little about where I started to give you a look into a path that has led me to great successes. I owned my first business at the very early age of 19. It failed 3 years later. My next business did not. It was highly successful. Without that first failure, its likely the second would NOT have happened and been super successful. When my first business was failing, I threw my hands up and said “I just can’t do it.” My Dad said, “… CAN’T never could, because it never had a chance. If you believe you CAN’T, You are right. If you believe you CAN, you are also right.” That would mark the last time in my life that I ever believed that I couldn’t do something. My thought process became more positive. 

I came to believe that in every situation I may not currently know the solution but all I really need is new knowledge and information. If I am willing to learn then I can attain that knowledge and move forward. I made a promise to myself that I would seek out knowledge and wisdom, simply choosing from the issues that existed in my daily life. Psychology. Business. Marketing. Sales. Spirituality. Leadership. The capacity for your life is limitless when you decide to choose what you will put into your mind and when you will do it. It is an impossibility to make this choice and for your life to stay the same.

When I made the decision to start learning I developed a new desire for reading and surrounding myself with the people that could help me achieve what I wanted in life. One of the first books I read was Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill which primed my mind to start thinking differently. I moved forward to one of my favorite authors, Andy Stanley. In his book Visioneering he details the idea of preparing for the success you would like to achieve even before any opportunity has presented itself. One of my favorite quotes from Andy is, “Direction, Not Intention, Determines your Destination... You cannot get to California from the Midwest by going east, unless you want to fly around the world.” All of the best intentions will never get you where you want to go in life. This is why many of us feel like life is an uphill battle and never fully find what we are looking for.

How many people can you name that are highly successful doing what you want to achieve? How many of those people are you around on a consistent basis for you to learn from? “We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.” Although frequently credited to a Navy Seal Commander, we can originally attribute this quote to the Greek lyrical poet, Archilochus. 

What quotes do you have written on the walls of your office? How do you keep your mind focused on the right things? Who are the five people that you are spending time with and learning from? What are the five sources that you are choosing to draw from as the foundation for your future? Pick up a pen right now and start writing. Put in place the plan for your future by changing your current surroundings and situation.

So how does the cycle of change begin? First, it starts with changing your mindset. Make the decision to learn everything you can so that you can be the best at what you do. Fully internalize and believe what Jim Collins said, “Good is the Enemy of Great.” That belief will prime your mind and set your intentions into action. Second, make a plan. Set your schedule daily to include time for personal growth. Morning or evening doesn’t matter. Just choose the time that you are most alert and ready to absorb something new. Third, find people that are ahead of you on the path and walk with them in the same direction. Continual Improvement is not a fad or a passing trend. It is a way of life that you will implement to achieve the confidence and success that you’ve always wanted. Make the decision to start your journey today. I can guarantee that you will love the results. 

Until next time,

Go Serve Big!!!

Leticia Almaro Nicolini

& The Almaro Team

Your Home Sold Guaranteed!