Eva Young said, "To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing."
Back in 1991, I completed all but one college course in Real Estate. I was taking the classes while changing my life from being a Wedding Consultant to the legal side of Mortgage Banking. The great misnomer in Real Estate and Mortgage Lending is that someone will train you. HA! As frightening as it might seem to clients - it is all trial by fire. The best you get is a pat on the back and "Good luck kid".
No formal license was needed since everything I handled in Real Estate was licensed by the Dept of Corporations - not the DRE. Much of what I accomplished involved being an efficiency expert (streamlining old processes); research into laws and regulations and finally training. It was only in the last few years I migrated over to sales. Being a Wholesale loan broker was no picnic and I wondered where this career would take me. There was a time I went back to school and completed a 300 hour Computer Information System Professional course (then MCSE testing) looking to move away from Mortgage Banking.
I spent a little over a year as a Network Technician for a start-up telecom company, but the company went under (too many private corporate jets) and I was sucked back into Mortgage Banking. I love all things technical, but learned quickly that an IT career, although fun, can place a great deal of pressure on people to work absurdly long hours away from home. It was always difficult balancing Brian and the IT career I loved.
Finally, after being qualified to do so since 1991, on January 2nd 2007 I registered to take my DRE licensing test. This is the project I have been working on. At the end of 2006 I decided 2007 was going to be the year I finish old goals and move on to new ones. Thepast four years discovering my Hashimotos, being treated and recovering has been the longest period since early childhood I have gone without achieving a difficult goal.
My life hung in suspension, as if someone pressed the pause button on the remote control of my life. I have dreams - great visions of what I want to do, but the last four years just kicked my ass to the floor. It felt like my life was super glued to a Hamster wheel. I was spinning and spinning; going round and around.
So I mused that if I achieved some small goals - even if they felt as if they were in the opposite direction of where I want to take my life - the simple act of doing this would create that "tiny snowball beginning to roll off the top of the mountain" effect. Then change could begin the "snowball rolling downhill gathering volume" effect. Maybe this "spinning" in my life could be turned into rolling towards something... I also decided to go back and fix some goals that went off track many years ago - before my marriage and the life thereafter.
The last weekend in January I attended a weekend exam prep course. There I ran into an old friend's son who has known me in the business for years. He grinned when he recognized me and gave me a big hug. I can't believe this friend has a son in his twenties. When did this happen? OIY I am not this old... After filling him in on what has been happening with me, I asked him if I seem different. I have known this kid since he was 9; he is now in his 20's. He grins, "No - you still look like fun". HA.
The next day (when I chose to sit in the back of the class to change the view) I make a smart remark under my breath about one of the students toward the front, causing the guys around me to laugh out loud. This kid to turns around and says, "See - you are the same!" It was reassuring as hell. I must be slowly coming back.
The trainer in this weekend class was amazing. Trust me, as one ex real estate trainer about another, we are P I C K Y when it comes to teachers. This trainer was Richard Dryfus's twin in looks and actions, and could certainly kick my butt in stand-up delivery presentation. At the end of the weekend I discover we have mutual friends, even though he lives three hours away and has met my son. If these aren't my G*damned signs then I don't know what is.
I left for Sacramento that Monday to stay with my friends Elisabet and Chris. I was shocked when we realize it has been a year since I have driven the relatively short distance to their home in Folsom. Why we tend to do this with our friends is beyond me. It was wonderful to spend time with them. They are so wonderful to me.
Tuesday was test day and I have to say, that was hell. When finished, I was sure I didn't pass. Elisabet and Chris took me out to dinner and offered plenty of wine to move me from exhausted test taker to fun redhead. Elisabet then took me to her new favorite hot spot, where we sat outside drinking our last glass of wine while a line of people formed at the door to get in to this spot. I kept laughing, asking her if these people knew it was Tuesday night. Her response is that it is always like this. The town I live in doesn't look this much fun on a Friday night - let alone a Tuesday. These are not all college kids either.
Wednesday I said my goodbyes and drove back to Sonoma County, convinced I would be traveling back in a month to re-take my test. Today I was notified...
Holy S H I T ...
I PASSED.
Goal number one is out of the way.
It's a beginning ...
Somewhere a little snowball has started to roll down a mountain.
Until next time-
C
