I know "a word" is usually chosen for the upcoming year... but if I had to choose one when looking back on 2023 that sums it all up, that word would be: Resilience.
I think of resilience as the ability to adapt and bounce back from challenging situations. To me, it's the capacity to recover quickly from setbacks or stress and to maintain a sense of purpose and optimism despite the oncoming storms.
At the end of this post, you'll see my very best effort in resilience with a chance to join me in something amazing.
And speaking of something amazing. This life lesson stopped me in my tracks this year, and it's about the buffalo (aka: Bison), that I had to share:
"Rather than waiting out the storm or running away from the storm, the Bison charges into the storm, taking it head-on and running right through it."
- Ben Newman
The post I saw went on to say that the buffalo (I use interchangably with Bison) knows it will get through the inevitable storm faster, by facing it, charging it even, rather than avoiding, ignoring and trying to run from it.
As I reflect on the year gone by, it's often the highlights that stand out—the achievements, the successes, and the moments of joy. But behind every highlight reel of literal rainbows and butterflies, is a storyline of rainy days and falling instead of flying - the unseen struggles and the determination to keep moving forward.
Here's a glimpse into the real, unfiltered journey of 2023 for the Rainey's:
Back Setback
The year got kicked off with routine lower back injections. For context, this procedure is equal to the pain an epidural and it addresses a long-time, practically chronic, disc injury for Kyle's lower back. A reminder and resolve for us in 2024 to prioritize self-care, no matter how much life keeps us busy. And boy, does it ever. Just keep reading and you'll see what I mean.
Goner Goats & Checked Out Chickens
Unforeseen animal attacks resulted in killed chickens this year, and the need to relocate our goats until we could finish the fence on the new property. You have to move quickly on this kinda thing to avoid goats that are goners. So, all in 24 hours from the onset, we loaded and taxied them to a friends place for respite. And by the way, goat wrangling is NOT for the faint of heart! The moment will be so sweet when we reunite with our farm family after the new house is built.
Postponing House Plans
On that note, in 2023, we had high hopes of getting our new house at least started. However, what we were able to accomplish is getting the parents' house built and them all settled in... so we are HALF WAY THERE. In addition to not wanting to take on two house projects at once, we also started a new sector of Kyle's business in another city. This has been the ultimate test and helped confirm we want to wait to start building, until the travel needs slow down for this startup (in Summer 2024). For so many reasons... I can hardly wait!
Fa-La-La-La-La Law-suit
And speaking of the startup that seemed to be anything but STARTING UP (a "one-step-forward, two-steps-back" kinda thing)... We can now proudly, but unfortunately say, we've been through serious litigation! I'll keep this pretty broad for privacy's sake, but let's just say it has cost more time and money than we wanted to pay AND it was certainly NOT our idea to start this frivolous fight. Oh, and the 111 page document to ensue the lawsuit, landed in our inbox ON OUR 11 YEAR ANNIVERSARY... am I the only one with weird timing coincidences?!
The Real Estate Deal That Died
On my side of career things... a real estate deal that seemed promising fell through, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the industry. I had a client Under Contract for a real "fixer-upper" and a week before closing MORE LEGAL MATTERS squashed it. I call it the 'Cain & Abel' house, because, two brothers were fighting over the right to sell it. Ultimately, we ended up victorious for my clients, finding another home that was PERFECT and move-in ready! Not the story we all had in mind, but certainly, a happy (mid-ending) as I'll be listing their house in early spring, so stay tuned!
Snake Sitings
On the wild ride of #realtorlife it never ceases to amaze me the surprises encountered. I had a listing presentation that was going perfectly normal until, minutes into the grand tour, I get notified that their are snakes eggs being raised to hain the very room I'm standing in! I definitely stopped breathing. Since that meeting, the snakes have been relocated and only time will tell if that consultation actually becomes a listing - I'll certainly keep you posted. In the meantime, I'll work on getting rid of the reoccurring nightmares!
Two Trucks Taken
Not one, but two of Kyle's trucks got stolen this year! With all his travel for the new division startup, hotel stays were frequent. Well apparently, the other frequent thing these days is auto-theft! Personally, I can't imagine the sick feeling of walking into the parking lot, and my car being GONE... twice! The most frustrating part are all the little things stolen with the vehicles: baby car seats, tools, sentimental photos, etc. This travesty is the equivalent of stealing a man's horse in the old days... and we all know what happened to horse thieves back then! Alas, those were indeed, the good ole days...
As I begin to wrap up, I want to note that this post is quite a bit less light and airy than my usual, but if you know the Rainey's... then you know we are just fine and we've got so much fight in us for the years to come!
This past year we were tested and while the highlight reels may not capture these moments, each experience helps us grow and strengthens our resolve to build a life we love.
As we look ahead to the new year, we carry with us the lessons learned and our deepened resilience to handle the storms to come.
And like the buffalo, we face them head on.
AND NOW FOR THE FUN PART OF THIS POST:
You may have seen that I'm launching an online program for my real estate peeps. But first... I'm doing a FREE WORKSHOP for anyone who wants to attend. And if this post says anything, it's that A LOT CAN HAPPEN IN A YEAR...
Back in April, I got my real estate license. The WHY? Because I wanted to help move the needle for my little family who has BIG dreams to accomplish each trip around the sun!
In just 5 months I did $5 Million in real estate revenue. I do NOT say this for ANY other reason than the fact that MY LIFE IS CHANGED and I want to help others do the same.
If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or real estate agent, you probably know that it’s a massive pain to deal with inconsistent revenue and constantly going through that dreadful feast-and-famine cycle. 🎢
Understanding that the state of the current economy (good/bad/ugly) does NOT have to dictate whether or not you make your dreams come true financially!
Being unsure of what to prioritize, means that you don’t have a plan or path, which can lead to one lost opportunity after the other 🙃
If this continues like it did for me, for a while… this could lead to not getting into that dream house, not paying of that pile of debt, or never taking that bucket-list vacation! 🏠💸🏝
BUT HEY… it’s not all bad news. To help you start making your paycheck bigger and steadier, you can choose to start by seeing how I did it... in my online workshop “The Road to Revealing Real Estate Evenue” to LEARN what I had to learn… the HARD way.
Inside this FREE TRAINING, you’ll learn how to:
01 | Get Your Foot In The Door
02 | Love & Land The Listing
03 | Drive Marketing With Design
04 | Creatively Close The Deal
If you’re ready to know how to have a competitive edge, land those million dollar listings, use designer marketing and cling-clang-close the deal, save your seat here: https://www.arrange.studio/4rworkshop
And BONUS: Just for joining the workshop, I'll be sending you a FREE VIDEO TEMPLATE for how I made my year-end reel you may have seen on my Instagram.
So click below to avoid FOMO!
