Communication - What are they really saying

Lately, I've noticed that people haven't been saying what they've been meaning. As a former debater I have enhanced my skill of paying attention to what people really say and basing my conversation on what they said.

However, in society, we don't really operate that way. 95% of the time, we're saying something but meaning something else. So how the heck are we suppose to communicate? We don't. No wonder we're in the trouble that we're in.

What would happen if everyone said what they meant, meant what they said and said it nicely? Think about it.

Until that happens, I received some advice on how to deal with this. When you're talking to someone, listen for what they are scared of and then address their fear. Now, I'll just have to remind myself when that happens. In the meantime, my girlfriend shared with me this pretty funny video that brings humor to this situation I find myself in. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. (FYI: it's a clip basically noting that what women talk about, gossip, is nothing but birds chirping.)

Patience is a Virtue Part 8 - Quibids

There have been a lot of auction sites popping up lately about winning things for as low as 1 penny. I've caught onto the recent trend and decided to try out Quibids.

Can I say that I'm a big fan of the structure. First and foremost, it's definitely a process to get used to and you need to take some time to understand it before you jump right in. Each bid you place with cost you some money and each bid will add some time to the clock so it does take some patience.

I've seen some bids take hours before they close, typically those are the bigger ones. I personally like to go for the smaller prizes because I don't have the patience to wait for a long bidding war. But there are some big ticket items that will take about 5 minutes before they come out with a winner! You just never know how things are going to go, I just make sure I'm prepared to sit down for the long haul if need to be, and that this is something that I need and want.

So if you haven't already, check out Quibids. It's a nice entertainment, but patience is worth it. Patience with figuring it out and sometimes long bidding wars... because when you think it's going to end, thing again!

Patience is a Virtue Part 7 - Extreme Couponing

Okay, so I'm turning into an addict of watching Extreme Couponing. Because of the show, I see an endless amount of possibilities of what someone can do with couponing! I mean come on! $1500 grocery bill down to a couple hundred dollars? That's pretty amazing.

Now, I'm not as extreme as those on the tv shows, I strive to save about 50% of my bill each and every time and sometimes I've gotten really great deals and others are just okay. Nonetheless, I'm saving money. I also don't have a stockpile... I buy a couple things at a time, as they are needed and because of the limited amount of coupons I have.

However, I've noticed that in the couponing world, waiting is a major part of the game. I've noticed that I won't buy something because I have a coupon for it; I actually wait till it's on sale. And what's even cooler is that Target and CVS may have their own coupons that you can combine with a manufacturers coupon which gives you double the savings! That is what I look out for!

The other thing is that it takes time to build up your inventory of coupons, so when you first start, it may not seem like a lot but as an ongoing thing, it can turn into a huge binder. I do have some friends that watch out for the amount of time that it takes them, making sure they're not spending too much time nor buying things they don't need. I personally find the cutting, the filing, the thinking and the math problems stimulating. It gives me a break from my job, from deadlines and from projects to think about something else. Also, it's very exciting to when you score a package of Keebler Fudge Cookies for $.50 a piece or free shower gel! You get to see the instant gratification. However, what it all boils down to is balance for each individual person, it can be an outlet or a burden. Personally, I am happy that TLC started the series because who knows how long I would be in the dark about the couponing world.

Happy Couponing!

Patience is a Virtue Part 6

I've started reading "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho again, it's my third time reading the book. I enjoy reading it because it takes me away from the world in front of me and reunites me with my "personal legend".

There was a passage I read, but cannot find right now, where Santiago made a really wise statement. He said that he needed to be patient with achieving his personal legend. His path has been written and he must listen to the omens of the world because they will guide him to his treasure.

What I'm taking away from this is to really be patient when I'm working towards my dream/my treasure/my goals. There's my measure of time and there's GOD's measure of time. It's almost as if with patience you run with a little bit of faith. And with the faith, you get to be surprised when the results come.

For example, I've had a potential customer meet me at the very beginning the year, in January. He said he wanted to take some time and think about it. We kept in touch, once every several weeks and finally he chose to my customer this past week! That was 8 months of waiting and being patient with him. I have no complaints about the process, I had full faith in him fulfilling on what he needed to take care of so that he could fully participate in the real estate journey.

So when there's a new objection, someone wanting more time, or something comes up, just breath, take your time, give them time and have a little faith!

Patience is a Virtue Part 5

This past week LA celebrated Navy Week (www.navyweek.org) and my dad got the excitement to check out the USSR Lincoln Aircraft Carrier. It turned out to be a family affair and the only day to attend was Sunday - the very last day.

We arrived at the parking lot at about 10 am, when the tours would start. There was already a line! The security guard estimated the wait time to be 6 hours! My dad wanted to see this thing, so we waited. I had found out that "opened toed shoes" was not allowed and what was I wearing? Sandals! So I found a target 1.5 miles away, walked there with my mom to buy some new shoes and walked back!

On the way back, they had closed the walk way to the parking lot. Apparently, the tours had been on hold and no one was allowed in. I spoke to one of the officers and he said "sorry" I can't let you in, even if my family and car was inside. (Good thing I didn't drive to target) Then I just waited. The same officer came back to verify my story and said, "Just wait and I'll try to sneak you in". In a matter of minutes, he allowed us to cross the street but then a different officer stopped us. I kindly told him my car is was parked and he let us pass. The next step was to find my brother and my father who were waiting in line. I told another security guard the situation, and he told me to wait here until the line crosses, but nothing else. I had no idea where I was going or what I was doing... but my mom and I were able to cross and find my brother to reunite the family. It really felt like I was infiltrating a high level operation! :) And yes I felt important.

We waited a total of 4.5 hours and my Dad was practically at Disneyland! It was awesome! The moral of the experience was... just wait and be patient. Just because you're not getting your way now doesn't mean you won't be getting your way later.

I've personally noticed that things are taking a lot longer to happen not just in my life... but in the world in general. I mean we got the debt ceiling bill passed right before the deadline. Just let it happen at it's own pace. That's always something I struggle with, letting it happen at it's own pace! :) And that process of practicing being Patient!