Prepared for Anything

It's been a bit since I last posted and it's been a hectic period of time in my life. Last week my plan was to write about my trip to Toronto and completing the CCIM designation, describe what that meant to me personally and professionally, and outline its importance of enhancing the value of my real estate practice from an investment and advisory perspective. However, my body had a different plan as I took a trip to the ER which resulted in an emergency surgery to remove my "angry" appendix (angry was the adjective so eloquently coined by the doctor). I've been told to always be ready to improvise and be nimble in life, and this was a great example of such a lesson. 

When I was told I needed to undergo an emergency surgery before the appendix potentially ruptured, my first thought was "I have a lot of appointments today and I need to get so-and-so task done - can't do it today." My second thought was, how long could it be before I am back to taking care of business? How long is this going to knock me out? Additionally, I wondered, how bad is this going to hurt and what's the likelihood it does not go as planned? The pain was to a point where there was not much of a choice for me to make but rather to face the inevitable road in front of me. It caused me to think of the many other life circumstances where we have limited choices but to proceed through potentially painful circumstances whether literally or figuratively.

I immediately notified all parties of which I was currently transacting that I would be out of commission for at least the next 24-48 hours. Support was offered through many different avenues from my family, colleagues, vendors, partners, friends and even current negotiating adversaries. This outpouring of support was overwhelmingly appreciated at the time at which I felt useless and helpless. 

This experience reminded me that unexpected events in life, business and real estate should be expected. There's a great quote that says "life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans." It's always smart to have a plan and a method as to how you are going to achieve your goals personally, professionally and financially. This experience re-iterated the fact that even though we have plans and intentions we need to be ready to implement contingency plans at any moment. Let's face adversity with the perspective that we expected it and we will have the capacity to handle it at our best. My hope is that whatever life throws at you over the closing months of 2017, you will be ready to face the unexpected and turn those challenges into opportunities.