If you are wondering what is happening in the Minneapolis/St. Paul market place, here is the “skinny” of all the real estate data in the Twin Cities for the month of November

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAUefxt1TPk

If you have any questions about the Minnesota, or Arizona, real estate market, don’t hesitate to contact me at 612-925-7720.

For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all,
And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
‘Quit!  Give up, you’re beaten!’  They still shout in my face.
But another voice within me says:  Get up and win the race!’ 
-D.H. Groberg

Have you ever found that when you get closest to your goal/intention/dream, the more obstacles get in the way?  After all the planning and preparation, blood, sweat and tears you have put forth and then, seemingly in an instant, just before the finish line, it seemed like it was all for not?  In other words, your hopes would get dashed, looming obstacles would sabatoge your efforts and you would only get to ”live to fight another day” instead of cross that proverbial finish line?  (Perhaps that was you in cooking a Thanksgiving meal for your whole family that didn’t turn out the way you wanted…..or you missed out on that great, once-in-a-lifetime “Black Friday” shopping deal). 

Essentially, your obstacles got the best of you.  Yep, that was what it was.

I have seen that happen a time or two (thousand) myself and it is amazing how the mind forgets that that is what is happening.  That you have been here before, seeing all the obstacles and wanting to throw in the towel, even though you know that the obstacles are really just a figment of your imagination.   Whether it was in summoning up the courage to ask your boss for a raise, asking that amazing person out for a date, buying that perfect home, starting that dream career, running that marathon, shedding those last 10 pounds - whatever your goal might be - those darn obstacles stepped in and caused an un-Divine intervention.

What can you do when this happens?

Well, I think I might be able to help shed some light on this difficult question.

This happened to me just last week.   I had signed up on Monday for the downtown Minneapolis Turkey Trot 5K race on Thanksgiving morning.  It was to be a great family affair, as my step-son was going to run in his own 1K event with other kids, my husband and baby there to cheer us on and I would be accomplishing something that would mean a ton to me.  Even though I have completed more than one Ironman Triathlon, several marathons, half-marathons and varying distances of triathlons/running competitions/relay races, this event (albeit a mere 3.1 miles of pavement pounding) would mark my official return to running in nearly 18 months.  It would be a benchmark moment that I knew I would never forget and I actually felt great as I paid my registration fee and re-read the race morning information to ensure I knew where to go, what to expect, etc.

Yet the 24 hours leading up to the race presented every obstacle I could imagine for me to achieve that goal.  And those that I couldn’t.

1.  I ended up going to the emergency room due to serious stomach cramping and a whole variety of symptoms that caused me to ponder the meaning of life and if running would be a good idea or not, let alone walking a 5K.

2.  My left knee began hurting

3.  My right knee followed suit

4.  My step-son’s flight was potentially going to be delayed to Thanksgiving morning - during the race itself

5.  My mindset completely did a 180 degree turn and I found myself having fears/doubts that overtook my thinking process and all I saw was everything BUT my body crossing that finish line

Fortunately, my health wasn’t as bad as I initially thought it was, and I took the day off from working, giving myself some extra time to take care of my body.  Not to mention my mind.

As the hours passed, leading up the event, I really just focused on my outcome, what I really wanted, more than anything.  I wanted to feel somewhat “normal” again, like my pre-baby self.  I thought about all those months I couldn’t run or enter into a race due to my pregnancy and new mommyhood.  I wanted to run with a group of people again and hear the heavy breathing, see the costumes, read the inspirational quotes on the backs of t-shirts, hear the national anthem sung before our race, get all the “free” gear for taking part in the event, and most importantly, cross the finish line again.  I didn’t care exactly what it might look like for me to get there, I just wanted to do it!  Originally, I had a time goal, but that went out the door.  I didn’t even wear my watch on race morning.  I would crawl to the finish if I had to.

Even though I wavered up to the last 30 minutes as to whether or not to listen to the aches and pains, I squashed those thoughts that I was creating in my mind.  Pain, real or not, was not even going to stop me.  Those darn obstacles were flown out the window of my mind and I took off with the rest of the turkeys (there were a few I saw on the course).

Mom Earned The Bird

When I crossed that finish line, it was almost like the first time I ever raced.  I was elated with excitement and filled with a great sense of accomplishment.  I didn’t even walk the whole race.  The aches and pains (real or not real) weren’t even felt.  My limited training had carried me through.  Not to mention my will to finish and achieve my intention.  No aches/pains or ER visits would stop me.  I earned my turkey eating privileges that day and wore my new race-earned shirt that day with great pride. 

I guess my point in all of this self-reflection is this.   If you are experiencing what would seem like a lot of “obstacles” right now, keep going.  Stick with your plan/goal/intention.  The finish line might be right around the corner, or it might not be.  Either way, if you believe deep down that you are meant to cross that finish line, you will get there.  It just may not look like the way you thought it would (and the obstacles may help with that, trust me on that one).  That’s okay.  The turkey you get to eat afterward will taste even better and will be even more worth it because you didn’t give up.  Even the obstacles serve a purpose and all will be worth the wait!

Can you believe it’s that time of year again?

Time to give thanks, carve the turkey and put on those sneakers for “Black Friday” shopping races the day after Thanksgiving (if you didn’t already don your running shoes for a local Turkey Trot on Thursday, as I plan on doing).

Whether or not you have turkey this Thanksgiving, this week is traditionally the time where many start realizing that the year is almost over, the holidays are upon us and it may be time to finalize those holiday travel plans, when many folks are stressing (or not) about what to give their loved ones this traditional gift-giving season and the holiday menus are being put together.

Amidst all the craziness, however, I love this time of year because it does (hopefully) cause many to pause and give thanks for all the past year has given each and every one of us.  I know these economic times are a bit manic for many, however, there are still many reasons for you to be thankful, aren’t there?

One exercise that I have used is to create a “Gratitude List” of all the things I am most grateful for.  I would encourage you to do this sometime this week.  Shoot for a minimum of three things and an unlimited number maximum.

Let me see….I’ll share with you the start of my list.

1.  I am grateful for my beautiful husband, with whom I have an anniversary this week, and healthy baby boy
2.  I am grateful for our health and the ability to be proactive about our health, versus reactive
3.  I am grateful that we live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, in my opinion, and in a beautiful home
4.  I am grateful for the ability to be able to spend Thanksgiving with my family in Iowa
5.  I am grateful that I get to run in my first 5K in YEARS on Thanksgiving day
6.  I am grateful for my many readers of my blog - for without YOU, I wouldn’t get the opportunity to write my weekly inspiration

My list could go on and on and on….I think you get the idea.  It is usually the simple things that give my heart the most joy.   From family/friends to health to where I live - these are all very basic things, but they are also the most important things that keep me going every day, especially during the interesting times we are living in.

Believe it or not, there have been times (even whole days) that I haven’t felt like being grateful - whether it was from being sick, to having no money, to having no home, to having broken relationships, to not achieving a goal - again, all temporary circumstances, thankfully (another thing to be grateful for).  These were all external circumstances that were in the forefront of my mind, causing often an unhappy mind and Spirit.

Yet, even then, one of my best friends, Laura Brownwood, a health/wellness expert, gave me the gratitude exercise to utilize to get me out of my “funk”, or whatever it was that was causing me to stop and feel hopeless or out of sorts.  That exercise is the same one I gave to you today.  Simply focus on three or more things that I am grateful for.  Sometimes I would have to think of many, many things on that list in order to shift my mindset….and sometimes it wouldn’t work right away.  And that’s okay.  Tomorrow is a new day and you can always do the exercise again, when you are in a different mindset or place.  It doesn’t have to be Thanksgiving.

I wish you and yours a great Thanksgiving week.  May your travels be safe, your stomachs full, your homes happy, healthy mind/bodies/Spirits and your heart filled with thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 Have you ever felt like giving up on a goal?

I know I have.  Many times, even recently. 

We are all human, last time I checked.  Call me crazy, but I think it is okay to feel like giving up, possibly even required.  It means we get to dig down deeper, ask for help if needed, or truly question our purpose in life - question our commitment and look fear in the face - challenging ourselves to move forward, if we find it is necessary, to quit.

I myself had a rough day recently and re-read this story below about Florence Chadwick.  I may have shared this with you before, but felt moved to do so again.  I hope you enjoy it and if it doesn’t apply to you so much today, save it for a rainy day, so to speak.  Trust me, it has worked for me many times.

NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR GOAL

Florence Chadwick was no stranger to goal setting. An American swimmer, she was the first woman in history to swim the twenty miles across the English Channel from France to England to France.
Florence would the go on to set another unbelievable goal: be the first woman to swim the twenty-one miles from Catalina Island to the west coast of California. On the morning in 1952, the ocean was shrouded in fog – she could hardly see the boats accompanying her to keep away the sharks. Fatigue wasn’t a big problem, but the bone-chilling temperature of the water was. After 15 hours of nonstop swimming, she succumbed to the temperature of the water and asked to be pulled into one of the boats. Her mother and trainer, in a boat alongside her, urged her to keep on as they were getting near the coast. Yet all Florence could see was fog and gave up hope of finishing her goal.
She was pulled out of the water too cold and tired to continue. Later, she realized that she was only half a mile from completing the swim and achieving her goal. When she learned how close she was when she quit, she blurted out, “I’m not excusing myself, but if I could have seen the shore line, seen my finish line, I might have made it!” It wasn’t the distance or the cold that ultimately did her in – it was the fog that blinded her finish.
In other words, when Florence Chadwick lost sight of her goal, she lost the will to continue.”
2 months later, when there was no fog, she completed the swim. Same island, same coast, same distance, same cold body of water. The only difference between victory and defeat was the ability to see her goal and the will to never give up.

Remember Florence and her inspiration as you go forth and race to your own finish line of your goal.

I did it!!  Hip, hip hooray - today’s the day (yes, I am adopting a bit of Dr. Seuss here)

I finished my 15 day cleanse, the Tiao He Chinese Herbal Cleanse. 

Whenever I finish something, even before I celebrate, I always like to look at what worked and what didn’t work, so I know how to apply the details toward my next cleanse or even, simply, my day to day life.

What worked?

1.  The timing worked - having just finished breast feeding and more than a year after my last cleanse, I was super duper motivated to stick with it and see the results!

2.  The challenge (a.k.a. opporunity) of juggling my return to real estate, being a mom and supporting my husband through his job search also worked, believe it or not.  I wanted to stay committed to the cleanse as well as my family during all of the spinning plates. 

3.  Having the support of my husband and accountability partners worked.  My support group have all done cleanses and knowing that they were there for me in my moments of weakness certainly gave me encouragement.

4.  Healthy cooking worked and supported the end goal, inspiring me to even learn more exciting ways to eat salad!!  (Totally new inspiration!)

5.  My shedding of a couple of pounds - total bonus that I didn’t even expect!

What didn’t work?

1.  My choosing of stressing out when my son was ill, which inspired me to break down and drink a couple of caffeinated/sugar filled beverages.  The positive that came out of that, however, was that I recognize that I can be human and can learn from that experience

What’s next?

I am going to take a week off and then do another cleanse, just in time to finish up before the true holiday season begins in December.

Next up?  Candida Cleanse, designed to boost the immune system, support the intestinal tract and maintain a healthy gut and balance the healthy Candida albicans that support the immune system.  Candida overgrowth itself is known to cause many dis-eases,  such as cancer.

I am so glad to know about these healthy options in my life, in order to live a long and healthy lifetime!

Here’s to you and your health - body, mind and Spirit!  Thanks for following me on this 15-day journey of cleansing.  I hope it inspired you in some way to be committed to your own health.

The final countdown - less than 48 hours to go!

My cleanse has gone so well.  I have scheduled an updated wellness/nutrition check up with Hyjek Chiropractic this Friday to follow up on all my vital health components (weight, blood pressure, body fat, etc).  Today I weighed myself and almost fell off the scale when I saw a number I haven’t seen in almost a decade.  I weigh a mere 15 pounds less than I did before having a baby.  I know part of it is due to the healthier eating and the cleansing lifestyle I have chosen to observe as of the last three months.   Now I want to focus on regaining my muscle tone(added weight there for sure) that I had before baby also.

I already purchased some hamburgers from Whole Foods today, in preparation for my return to my non-restricted diet/eating habits that I observe during non-cleansing times.  WOOHOO!!  Going to get that bottle of wine tomorrow for Wednesday.

Tomorrow is Day 15 - wow, the time has really flown.

“What is the price of this home?” the first-time buyer asked me.

“$424,900″ I answered.

“Wow!  That’s a lot!”  responded the 9-year-old boy, named Charlie, attending his first ever open house. 

That was a first for me, talking to a 9-year-old about real estate pricing.  I found it inspiring that this young man saw my flyer advertising the open house and he came over on his own accord.  The economic “crisis” didn’t thwart his home buying dreams. 

The “American Dream” is alive and well in the U.S.  In fact, as of Friday, it has been extended.  At least, the part of the definition of that phrase that has to do with buying a home.

What am I talking about?

Here is the message that was in my inbox of my real estate email account this past Friday.

“BREAKING NEWS!
Tax Credit Extension & Expansion is Approved!

President Obama has approved a bill for the Housing Tax Credit Expansion and Extension. Here’s what it means:

The $8,000 First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit is Extended!

What does that mean?

• Now, qualified first-time home buyers would receive their $8000 tax credit if they sign a purchase contract by April 30, 2010 and close by June 30, 2010.
• The home purchased must be their primary residence
• Buyer cannot have owned a home during the past three years
• Tax credit is up to 10% of the home value (not to exceed $8,000)
• Annual income caps to qualify for the tax credit have increased ($125K for single filers / $225K for joint filers). Partial tax credit can be granted for incomes up to $145K for single filers / $245K for joint filers.

PLUS New $6,500 Tax Credit for Current Home Owners Purchasing a Primary Residence

• Eligible home buyers must have lived in their current home for 5 consecutive years of the past 8 years.
• The new home does not have to cost more than the old home
• Eligible for homes with purchase agreements written by April 30, 2010 and that close between November 6, 2009 and June 30, 2010
• Annual income caps to qualify for the full tax credit ($125K for single filers / $225K for joint filers). Partial tax credit can be granted for incomes up to $145K for single filers / $245K for joint filers.”

Nearly 75% of the home purchases in my region of the country (Minneapolis/St. Paul) in this past quarter have been inspired because of the tax credit/break that has been given to first-time home buyers, specifically in the price range under $250,000 (prime first-time buyer price range).  The tax credit was supposed to expire by November 30th, however, renewed hope has spread amongst the real estate industry.  Based on the statistics, there may very well be a continued resurgence in the real estate market locally and nationally.

I hope it keeps bringing out the 9-year-old buyers - that will keep me inspired!

I was a bit surprised that I missed blogging yesterday’s results, however, thecleanse has become such a natural part of my days, that I didn’t even think about writing about it.   Crazy, huh?  I never would have thought I would have said that.

What did I notice about these past two days? 

Well, my bathroom visits are, uh, quite a bit more productive than they have been in nearly three years.  Hard to believe that could be the case after only 11 days of an herbal cleanse. 

One thing, also, that hasn’t changed is that I am looking forward to my ability to have some red wine again, as well as some chocolate.

I am looking forward to Day 15, or better yet, Day 16, when I am done.  And doing this has also helped me to realize that I can do it!  And I will be doing it again, not too long after I take a break after this one.

Double digits have arrived!  I have made it to the end of Day 10 of my cleanse, only 5 days to go!  2/3 of the way complete. 

The timing of this cleanse couldn’t have been more perfect.  This is my first week back at selling real estate.  My mornings are much earlier of a start (average of two hours earlier) and I am able to sustain the energy almost all day.  My afternoon is filled with taking care of my baby with a workout thrown in there some where and helping take care of the house.  I don’t know if I would have this much energy and be able to sustain myself as long, if it weren’t for the cleanse.   It makes all the sacrifices and commitment worth it in the end.  AND will make my holidays a lot more guilt free.