A message from Karen Ginn.

What are you on the inside??

I recently saw an ad on social media of a pot of boiling water, inside were a potato and an egg.  The caption read, isn’t it interesting that the same pot of boiling water makes the potato soft and the egg hard.  It just goes to show you, that it’s not the environment, it’s what you are on the inside!!

This really stuck in my head and later in the week, I was reminded of a story.  My son, Matt, went to a bible college in Indiana and on parents weekend, we went and listened to one of Matt’s professors talk to us.  He told us a story about asking his students what they thought was the greatest invention of all times.   He got great responses, the wheel, engines, electricity, computers, space travel, television, etc.   One guy in the back stood up and said, well for sure, it’s the thermos.  The professor kind of laughed and asked for his explanation.  The student said, well, if you pour hot chocolate into the thermos, it stays hot, and if you poor iced tea into the thermos, it stays cold.   The professor laughed and said, well, yes, but what is your point? The student said well, HOW DOES IT KNOW???    The professor gave this kid the highest grade in the class.   Again, it’s not the environment, it’s what you are on the inside!

So, here is my point of my story, today we started my dad on Hospice. The doctors are saying he has no more than 9 months.  His quality of life is not good.  My heart is broken, I have always been a daddy’s girl. But at the same time, I am grateful for every day he can be at home. So many people, family and friends have had this issue with their families and friends.   Again, same environment.

Our real estate careers are no different really.   We are all in the same environment – northern Illinois.   We all have the same crazy sellers that want more for their home than it’s worth.   We all have the same crazy buyers that want that $300K home for $200K.  We are all working with the same crazy lenders.    It’s not the environment, it’s what we are on the inside.

This last couple of years have been very hard for me.  I’m not making excuses, but having a family member that is very ill takes its toll on you after a while. So much time spent in the hospital and the nursing home.   It’s affected my earnings.  BUT, I’m so grateful for my job.  I love being a Realtor.   It keeps me balanced and grounded and gives me rewards that I can’t get anywhere else.   Working is actual therapy for me, it keeps my mind active and focused on other people needs over my own.

I have found out what I am on the inside, I’m a fighter and a survivor.  I keep putting one foot in front of the other and I try to be grateful for each new day.  I’m not a martyr.  I’m not looking for praise and pats on the back.   So, many people are in the same situation and so many, have had so much worse.

We can’t change our environment, but I can change what I am on the inside and today I choose to pray and to be grateful !!

 

Karen Ginn