Wise Question

As I hope anyone reading knows, I’m a real estate agent in Baltimore.  I had the opportunity to work with a new client yesterday who is in the market to buy.

One of the great things about this career choice is that I get the opportunity work with interesting, fun, and diverse people; anyone in a relationship business understands this.  I so appreciate these chances to meet people.

So my client yesterday told me something that I found really profound.  She said a friend once asked this question of her:  “If you could tell people how old you are based on your perception, what would you tell them?”

My client answered her (with a much lower number than her actual age), after which her friend simply said:  “Then act that way.”

I’m 43 years old.  But my perception of myself, how I feel, how I can perform, is younger – more like 33.  So I’m going to act that way.  I’m going to act like I’ve got 60 years to go,  I’m going to act like I have 30-35 more years that I’m going to work.  I’m going to act like I can lift like a 33 year old, not a 43 year old.  Age is not an excuse.

That conversation was worth more to me than the commission check I’ll earn.