Teaching Real Estate…to Yourself
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You open the door to the office, you sit down at your desk, and you begin to read yesterday’s mail. You notice that intermingled with the junk mail and the bills are the placards or other mail detailing the availability of the many education opportunities. You are now forced to make a decision; throw the opportunity into the trash or sign-up for the class?
If your decision is to throw that educational information into the trash, I would like to ask you one question. How smart are you? If you do not need that education, then perhaps you could teach that class. If you do teach that class you will be rewarded by experiencing what my friend calls the “Teachable Moment.” It is that moment in a student’s life when the reality of the situation meets the importance of the topic and the light is turned on. You will benefit from the ability to maintain a constant knowledge of an ever-changing world and you will change the world-one student at a time.
I have been fortunate enough to teach a course with a good friend. The topic of that course will remain timely through the decades, and the joy of making a difference in the lives of so many students is something that will always have an impact my life. Even though I teach a class, I continue to take and enjoy as much education as possible. I do not want to be the one who is sitting in his office while the world goes by and he forgets to get on.
How good are you at what you do? Are you so smart that you do not need additional education? Do you teach a class and feel as though you should not be reduced to actually taking a class with the commoners? I have a challenge for you. My neighbor, who is also a good friend, has a 16-year-old son who is very much caught up with the image of success. When he was asked what he wanted to do for his summer employment he made a coy remark that he wanted to work for me. There is a problem with perception versus reality. His father told me of his comment and I agreed to hire him for the summer. His father and I set a work schedule and a salary, and laid the ground work for what his son could and could not do. I also agreed to tutor his son for about an hour on the importance of money, real estate, being a good person, and education. I challenge any of you who think you are smarter than your peers to find a 16-year-old and get them to understand discounting, compounding, interest rates and the impact that those three topics will have on his money, his future, his parents today, and the world in general. Now add the world of real estate and the ethics, and you will learn as I did that there is no tougher job in the world.
Why is all of this important to you? Education is the bedrock of who you are. Do you have to be an Einstein to teach? Do you have to teach to the masses? Can you teach one teenager? Does any of this have an impact on you? I will guarantee you that education is the basis of your earning power; the basis for you as a person; and the basis for the impact you will have on the world and on those you care about.
The more you know; the more you know how to use that knowledge; and the more you know that your knowledge can have an impact on just one person, the greater your success will be. Take a class; teach a class; make a difference-or get out of the way!
