Kaycee's zone: Sense of Accomplishment

Kaycee's zone: Sense of Accomplishment: When I was growing up as a little boy in my village I had the opportunity of mingling with children that we regarded as coming from wealthie...

Sense of Accomplishment

When I was growing up as a little boy in my village I had the opportunity of mingling with children that we regarded as coming from wealthier families. These set of people usually comes back home once in a while especially during festive and holiday periods. I was once hanging out with a friend of mine, waiting for some other fiends of ours.  It was one of those holiday periods when most families that lives in the city usually comes back home for their celebrations. My friend was one of those that their families use to come home from the city for the festivities, and his family as of then was regarded as one of the wealthiest in our community and by this age had already been thinking highly about himself–and he was very arrogant about this, because he had been raised by his parents to think very highly of himself.  He seemed to believe he had done the absolute best in everything he did.  Even though he was not a great student, he reasoned that this did not matter, since the best students would one day be working for him.  He had an incredible level of self confidence, and people around him could never shake this, even if they tried. His tremendous sense of self was internal to him, and was unwavering.  Everyone who knew this particular guy thought he would one day be extremely successful.  His self belief set him apart on so many levels from all other kids.

As we sat there, we discussed our futures.  He had big plans for himself, which included heading a multi-national company in Lagos, going to a major business school and taking on the world.  When it came time for me to share my plans for the future, I still remember quite well what I said:

“I will be very happy if I get a three bedroom house in a nice neighborhood, and can at least afford to travel once in a while,” I told him.  “I really hope I can get a decent job when I get out of school.”

“It’s tough out there, but I am sure you will manage to get something,” he said.

I never forgot this particular conversation because at that time in my life this was all I expected for myself:
• I thought my biggest challenge would be finding a job when I got out of school.
• I never thought I would be a realtor.
• I never thought I would even go to a good university.
• I never thought I would go beyond Owerri–and I never really had big plans for myself.
My sense of who I was and what I could achieve was simply not at a high level.  At some point, however, based on encouragement from my parents, teachers and others I began to develop a stronger sense of self–a sense of self that encouraged me to aim high in my life, and to believe that I was capable of incredible things.  Over time, this sense of self began to stick, and it continued to grow for me.  A strong sense of self is the most important possible thing you can possess, and developing a strong sense of self will change your life.

Do you think the close friend I had when I was growing up in the village would have helped me develop this strong sense of self?  In most cases it is not our friends who will encourage and push us.  It is not that our friends are trying to hurt us; it is just that, as much as they like us, they may not want us to change.  For example, my friend at the time liked being around people who looked up to him, and avoided people who looked down on him.  If I had changed then, the dynamic between us would have changed (and it eventually did anyway, when I changed).  People around you may want a certain level of control over their relationship with you in your career and life, and they want whatever makes them look and feel the best.  While they may like it if you do well, their doing well is their priority.  Please understand this: If you have a strong sense of self, this will alter the power balance in your relationships with many people around you.  This is why so many people never change and reach their full potential.

Many children develop a strong sense of self starting from the moment they are born, from their parents, who encourage them and help push them to do better and better.  But it is not just parents who help us develop a strong sense of self.  A strong sense of self comes from many areas in our lives, and from the feedback we receive from the world about various areas of our lives:


• Our Recognized Abilities Give Us a Sense of Self-If we are very intelligent and test well we may feel smart, and this may contribute to a strong sense of self.  If we are considered interesting or funny by others, or have been called industrious, inventive and so forth, this may contribute to a strong sense of self.
• Our Various Affiliations Give Us a Sense of Self-We may be members of a certain sports team, college, or other group that is interested in certain things.
• Our Religion Gives Us a Sense of Self-If we are members of a certain religious group, this will give us a sense of self related to the religion.
• Our Social Standing and Relationships Give Us a Sense of Self-We have a sense of self based on the people we are friends with, how we are regarded by others.
• Our Occupation Gives Us a Sense of Self-Our jobs and what we do for a living is something that gives us a sense of self.
• Our Families and Family Relationships Give Us a Sense of Self-Our wives or husbands, our parents and other relatives all contribute to our sense of self.
• Our Past Gives Us a Sense of Self-Things that have happened to us in the past, and which people may have said about us in the past may contribute to our sense of self.
When you get to know people they will constantly be telling you about themselves and various things they have done.  I have heard people brag about being the best player on their football team, setting local records for shot put, getting the best score in their school on a standardized test, dating the homecoming queen and more–often forty or more years after all this occurred.  Why?  These peoples’ sense of self is intertwined with things that they achieved decades ago.  It is who they are, and who they consider themselves to be.

Most of us rarely develop our sense of self deliberately.  As children, we may further develop the characteristics for which our parents give us positive feedback, because we naturally seek acceptance, love and protection from the people that provide us care.  As we grow older, we do the same thing with the schools we attend and within our peer groups, where we also seek acceptance and protection.  We may have different senses of self with our peers than we have at home.  We may have a different sense of self on the athletic field than we have off the athletic field.  In addition, our motivation may be affected by our sense of self.  If we are told we are very smart by others, we may study more and work harder in school, due to having a sense of self that is strongly related to our academic skills.  If we are given the impression that a certain behavior will improve our sense of self then we will likely engage in this behavior.


What is inside of you, what you feel and believe is entirely different from what the rest of the world may be telling you.  If you have a strong sense of self, you can overcome every obstacle out there without being concerned with anything–except for what is inside of you, what you feel and what you believe.  Everyone thinks about themselves and their lives in a certain way, and this ultimately ends up controlling the future of everyone’s lives.  Your beliefs about yourself have a tremendous amount to do with what ends up happening to you, what you accomplish, and the quality of your life.

Inside each and every one of us there needs to be an understanding of who we are.  Our sense of self underlies our internal strength as human beings and it enables us to accomplish what we desire.  Our sense of self needs to give us the ability to power through–no matter what others may say about us, and no matter what sort of feedback we may get from the world.

Developing a strong sense of self enables us to be happier, more successful, and to live better lives.  Unfortunately, most of us do not live our lives in accordance with our own sense of self and, instead, our sense of self is based too much on what others are doing out in the world, what others have, and what others say about us –and various externals that are irrelevant to what is really inside of us.  If you have a strong sense of self, then what you do for a living, your past, your religion, your parents, your affiliations, your recognized abilities and more should not affect your thoughts about what you can accomplish.

Having a powerful sense of self is going to make all the difference in your life.  You need to understand that your thoughts about yourself and your capabilities need to come from what is inside of you, not from societal structures that may have led you to believe who you are.

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Two Sides of Success

Aesop’s fable “The Goose and the Golden Egg” is the story of a poor farmer who one day visits the nest of his goose and find at her side glittering golden egg. Though he suspects it to be a trick, he decides to take it home, where he learns, to his delight, that the egg is actually pure gold.

Every morning thereafter the farmer gathers one golden egg from the nest of the goose and soon becomes fabulously wealthy. As he grows rich, however, he also grow greedy and impatient with the output of the goose. Finally, in an attempt to get at once all the gold in the goose. He kills and opens it, only to find nothing.

The moral of this fable has a modern ring to it. True effectiveness is a function of two things:

1. what is produced (the golden eggs); and 2. The producing asset, or capacity to produce (the goose).

Like the foolish farmer, we often emphasize short-term results at the expense of long-term  prosperity. Effectiveness lies in the balance between – what we call the “P/PC” Balance:

 “P” stands for production of desires results, the golden eggs. “PC” stands for production capability, the ability or asset that produces the golden eggs.

Excessive focus on “P” results, in the ruined health, worn-out machines, depleted bank accounts, and broken relations.

Too much focus on “PC” is like people who run three or four hours a day, bragging about the extra ten years of life it creates, unaware they are spending them running. Or a person endlessly going to school, never producing, living on other people’s golden eggs-the eternal student syndrome.

In spite of the obvious need for balancing “P” and “PC”, we frequently neglect and abuse physical, financial, and human resources. For instance, we don’t properly maintain our bodies, the environment, or our valuable physical possessions. We raid principal to increase our standard of living.

Of greater concern, we overlook relationships, neglecting kindness and courtesies. Thus, the goose’s health suffers and threatens the production of golden eggs.

On the other hand, “PC” investments (i.e. professional development activities, exercising and eating properly, increasing skills, maintaining and repairing assets, developing  relationships) contribute to our quality of life. Time and chance presents us all with great opportunities. Whether we take advantage of them is another thing entirely.

If you are reading this, and you can afford to take advantage of it or you know another person who can, then, here is a great opportunity presented on a platter of gold. Please maximize it.

All that said; let me introduce you to Marock Resources, we want to be your one stop shop for your Real Estate Investment needs.Who knows if the real estate market will ever be the same? Well, frankly, we do. Here’s a guarantee: people will continue to buy homes and sell them. They will marry, start families and need more room. They will grow older and downsize. They will start a new job, and move to a new city. And they will seek out information that helps them make smart decisions about where they live. Real estate coverage from Marock Resources: Smart. Affordable. Trustworthy. Isn’t it time for a new start? By so doing relationships are stronger, finances are more secure, and physical assets last longer. The goose-happy and healthy-continues producing.

The “P/PC” Balance is validated in every arena of life. We can work with it or against it, but it’s there. It’s the definition and paradigm of effectiveness.

It is not uncommon to see people attempting to live extravagant lifestyles even when it means living beyond their means – and, in the process, saddling themselves with unnecessary debts. Even if we are not living beyond our means, the temptation is there, almost like a battle ranging between good and evil! The following should help us remain focused and ensure we are on track to weather the economic climate.

Know yourself: What is important to you? Who do you aim to be, to be true to yourself or to belong? What are your priorities in life? Your perspective, your, your innate values and your beliefs will go a long way in determining how you respond to the pressure to own the latest fad, drive the biggest or most stylish car, or hang out at the trendiest place.

Know your limits: If you plan on heading anywhere, be it financially or otherwise, the first thing you need to know is where you are – your starting location and your co-ordinates. Having a good grasp of your total earnings and outgoings, including money you need to set aside for savings and investments, enables you to be very  clear on what you can or can’t afford.   

Remain focused: This requires you to have clearly defined goals of where you are heading, which helps you determine whether your short-term spending decisions are taking you there. If you have a goal of furthering your education or buying a house, say, does spending N270,000 on the latest Gucci handbag or shoe take you closer to or further away from, your goal? Since medium- to long-term goals seem to take a while to achieve, it is easy to get distracted and lose focus.

Build your financial repertoire: It is important to develop the ability to discern good debts from bad debts. The difference between a good and bad debt is in appreciation or depreciation. So perhaps purchasing a property in Ikoyi, as opposed to Ikeja, may be expensive and trendy, but it may be a worthwhile investment – a “good debt” – because it surely must appreciate better and faster in value. However, car loan debts depreciates at a rate of about 20% to 30% once driven out of the car dealership, you are going to have to pay both the principal amount and the interest due, which invariably means paying more money than was borrowed on a depreciating asset. Property can be used to give capital appreciation and fixed rental income, so you can  ‘buy to rent’ property for investment purpose. 

Open the door to the exciting world of property investment by just clicking on Marock Resources 

This is where my company comes in. Our job is to make you a property investor. If you dream of owning properties for investment purposes, we can help make it happen. 

You too can become a property investor. This means you are the owner of landed properties being used by others. This is quite different from owning properties used by 'you'. These can be empty plots, single flats, houses, offices, warehouses, shopping malls. You are only limited by yourself. 

‘Be Bold’ Is Our Talk 

We want to be your one-stop shop for your real estate services. We will rent your houses and office space, buy your landed properties, and build your houses while you face your business without distractions. 

where to find a good deal

Buying

Where to Find a Good Deal

Inventory is tightening and home prices are rising, but there are deals to be had if you know where to look

Until a few years ago, homebuying was synonymous with sweet deals and bargains galore. There was an abundance of inventory, and foreclosures and short sales served up homes at rock-bottom prices.

Not anymore.

With inventories tightening, investors bowing out of the market, and prices slowly inching upward, a good price tag is getting harder to come by.

The median sale price of a new home in jumped 12.6 percent from March 2013, to in March 2014, according to a recent report from the Nigerian Commerce Department.

While existing home sales dropped marginally to an annual adjusted rate of 4.59 million, according to the National Association of Realtors, the market still continues to be tight. The good news is despite all that you could still find a bargain price on your new home.

“There are always good deals,”  “Some are just harder to find than others.”

Marock Resources specialize in neighborhoods, and they are aware of good deals in an area, real estate professionals have access to tons of data sites and act as the buyers’ advocate.

To find a low-priced home, look for marock resources.

“They are still an opportunity for a lot of buyers,”

Many homeowners still struggle with mortgage payments may be falling behind on them. They are more likely to sell their homes than let these homes slide into foreclosure. Marock Resources have access to data to determine such homes,

Here are some other tips to find a good deal:

• “When you hear of a good deal, jump on it right now,” as they can disappear quickly. We advises potential buyers to have pre-approved financing and down payment verifications ready before they even start looking for a new home.

• Look at homes that have been sitting in the market for a while. “Stale inventory always goes through price drops because they have a stigma attached to them,” “If your offer is the only one on the table, you can get a more favorable terms.”

• Ask your realtor to get you a list of homes that haven’t sold in the last two to three years. Approach the owner and ask if they are still interested in selling. Your Realtor can arrange for a one-party showing.

• If you are the kind who likes home-improvement projects, look for older homes in older neighborhoods. “You have a lot of [older] parents that are moving into assisted living homes,” “When the kids inherit these assets they often don’t have the lump sum available to fix these homes. That’s where we see the biggest pool of investors.”