Have You Read “The Alchemist”?

Over the weekend I read “The Alchemist”, by Paulo Colho.  It is a quick read about a shepherd boy named Santiago.

Santiago is on a quest  to fulfill his life passion.  The book calls it  his “Personal Legend”  Along the way he meets a gypsy woman, an old man claiming to be a king, the love of his life, and the alchemist.

The old man’s advise to him at the beginning of the book is to pursue his life passion.  “To realize one’s Personal Legend is a person’s only obligation, “ the old man tells him.  “And when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it” (pg 169)

There are twists and turns, he is robbed, beat up, and leaves love behind.  Will or won’t he fulfill his passion and find his “Personal Legend”.  That is the message of the book.

Before I read this little book, I asked Corina Guerra, our new Senior Escrow Officer, to write a life statement.  Something I could post simply introduce her to you. 

(By the way she did not know I was reading the book, nor did I know what she would say.  Isn't life interesting.)

Here’s what she sent me:

I have a passion, actually I have two. 

My passion is my family and it flows into my work. Because I am happy at work I am happy at home.  Trust me when I say that my family knows if Mom’s not happy no one is happy :-)

I've been in escrow since the late ‘90s

I have had the grand pleasure of starting from the most important position Front Desk, on to Escrow Assistant, Escrow Officer and believe it or not Branch Manager.

I love what I do!

And most importantly to me - I love where I’m doing it!

I was raised in a large family with tons of cousins from California and Mexico. I’m fluent in Spanish and studied in Monterrey, Mexico for a couple of years.

I love traveling and watching my children smile and laugh.  Right now, we travel with my youngest daughter she’s a catcher for a local club softball team.

“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

As with Lexi, we are thrilled to have Corina join the team!

Collectively we will work  to provide Arizona REALTORS® and Lenders cutting edge marketing and educational opportunities. In turn providing them the most effective and efficient escrow closing process achievable while maintaining a high standard of performance for Great American Title Agency, Inc.

Send Corina an email, or drop her card and let her know she will fulfill her passion with Stapley Center.  Her email is cguerra@azgat.com

* Please like our Great American Title Agency-Stapley Center facebook fanpage

Meet Lexi!

Meet Lexi!

The Blog Post for May 14^th of this year talked about change. 

This world is in constant change, some we need to embrace and some we need to let go of.

Last week we talked about Nicole Zorn moving on to a “grand new life adventure”.  Well with that move, we as a staff had to face change.  Office change. 

There would be a new team member. Actually since June 23^rd we have added two outstanding team members.  Next week we’ll talk about Corina, today is all about Alexa Williams or “Lexi” as we have come to call her. 

Lexi is bright, generous and full of energy. She is a great addition to the team.  What can we say, someone upstairs has really been looking out for us, these past couple of months. 

When asked here’s what Lexi has to say:

My favorite part about what I do at work has got to be the simple fact that I get to help people on a daily basis. Whether it be something as simple as a reassuring answer to their question and/or concern, or something so complicated that finding the solution becomes my own personal mission; helping people brings me joy. I see life as the ultimate opportunity to grow, and continuously learn how to be better and do better. I bring this philosophy into my work, and I know that’s why I am so self-motivated in my quest to provide the best customer service that I possibly can.

What Do You Like To Do When You Are Not Working:

I love to make memories with my family, whether they be big or small. I enjoy writing, or anything where I get to be creative. I like to catch up with my closest friends whenever possible as well.

Favorite Quotes of mine include:

“You don’t love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear.” – Oscar Wilde

“Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – Ronald Dahl

We are thrilled to have Lexi join us in this grand adventure of LIFE.  We’ll learn new things, implement the best and toss the rest.

So, stop by or email this next week and welcome Lexi to the team. Her email is awilliams@azgat.com  You’ll hear and see for yourself,  the caring compassionate spirit you have come to love is still in place at Great American Title Agency, Inc., the Stapley Center. 

*Please go Like our New Stapley Center facebook fanpage at:

https://www.facebook.com/GreatAmericanTitleStapleyCenterMesa

Thanks Nicole!

Friday, July 11^th was Nicole Zorn’s last day with the Stapley Center team at Great American Title Agency.  To say it was a tough day for all of us is an understatement. Don’t get me wrong the day was not a downer, it was simply tough.

Nicole, her husband, David and their son Ethan are off on a new “grand new adventure”.  David has accepted great new position with a radio station in Flagstaff and so they are in transition.

Transition is a part of life.  Transition is exciting and hard.  We actually transition every day.  We transition from pj’s to clothes; from home to work; from breakfast to lunch; from school as a child to work as an adult.  Hopefully we transition well. 

When we fail to transition we really begin to die.

 Nicole and I talked a lot about this move and her family’s transition.  Nicole will need to find a new job; Ethan will be in a new school.  David has a huge new responsibility.  There will be church, and a spot to call home, even though the dogs must go to the park for walks, and there will be new friends.  

Hey, Nicole, remember “Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold.”

Nicole is a survivor.  She is talented, gifted and skilled.  Nicole has the ability to look at life for what life is. 

I find it how interesting life works out. 

Before we learned of David’s new job our team began looking forward to a fall seminar we are sponsoring and in preparation we committed to study a book, Michael Maher’s book, the 7 Levels of Communication. 

In the book Mr. Maher uses an acronym for life. Today as I think about Nicole and her family adventure, I find life’s timing interesting.

LIFE = learn, implement, fail, evaluate.

Michael likens life to a spiral staircase.  Take a step out in faith, learn something new, implement what we believe is best, and should it fail simply evaluate what needs to change and step up to the next step.  Think about it a spiral staircase always moves up.  To me that is growing.

I have been where Nicole is.  Ken and I moved from Oregon to Arizona in 1996.  We adjusted to a new community, new home, new friends, and found jobs.  We are stronger, better people for making the move.

So Nicole, my thoughts and my prayers are with you.

 You are going to make it “baby girl”.  There will be a new church to call home, a new team to join, and as Nana would say, “a new grand adventure” for you to love.

Readers Read, Writers Write

Readers write.  Writers read, at least that’s my view!

Ken and I are getting ready for our famous “Hubbard Annual August Alaska Scramble”.  And so in preparation for the trip I found my vacation journal (entitled, “Get Your Claws off My Journal” complete with the picture of a black bear).  Immediately I reread the August 2013 entries, I could not help myself.

A question I posed to myself in 2013 was “What do I implement to inhibit me from getting pulled into the NOT IMPORTANT?”

My response:  plan, project, read, study, listen, learn and make the tough calls.

Now almost a year later I found myself reflecting on how this had played out.

One thing I can say for sure 2013/2014 taught me, I’m human.  

Yes, I planned better. I have read many good books just ask Ken.  And I have made some really tough calls.

This past year has also taught me, when I fail, and I do fail “I just pick myself up and get back in the race”.  Setting reasonable expectations has been a big take away.

It’s like that old Frank Sinatra song, (music is healing for the soul):  

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIiUqfxFttM&feature=kp

Last summer one goal Ken and I set was to share our home with children.  Our grandchildren live in Alaska, and it is hard to only get to see them once in a while.  We are lucky; there are children here in Arizona. We are segregate grandparents. 

Last month, Ken took two boys fishing and I had the privilege of teaching a 6 year old how to bake cookies from scratch.  By Sunday afternoon, I was reminded why God gives us children when we are young.  We had wet towels, cookie crumbs, and dirty windows.  We had created watermelon balls, played play dough; sponge painted, and swam three times in a day.  I loved it! 

And guess what? ... The housecleaners had everything back in order by Thursday.

Learning to let go and love life has been huge for me this past year.

Professionally, I’ve seen staff growth.  I love our staff.  Again, some things have worked and some we’re still working on.  We have learned to CANI (Constant and Never-ending Improvement) together.  We’ve implemented systems, increased our customer service, and developed a team growth plan.  Again, collectively we’ve learned to hold on to what works and simply change the rest.

In a nut shell here’s what I’ve learned:  Be intentional. Look at the “big rocks” first.  Bi-annual; monthly; weekly; and daily steps are a must.  Without them I fail to plan and I plan to fail.

So next month, I am off to Alaska with my vacation journal and I’m excited to think, plan, and write the 2014/2015 ideas.  I plan to create even bigger initiatives and steps that will enable me to better understand what’s really important in my personal and professional life.

Precautions

I journal daily and have for years. 

Last week’s topics were:  “Margin” – “Staying on Track” – “Actions” – “Where My Strength Comes From” – “Precautions” – “Learning to listen” and “Done Playing Games”

I write SOAP Journal entries.  (S stands for scripture; O=observation; A=application and P=my prayer thoughts.)

So here’s the July 27, 2014 “Precautions” entry.   Nahum 1:1-2:13 (Psalms 131-135 & Proverbs 27)

S =

 “A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions.  The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences”.  Proverbs 27:12

O=

Today’s Bible reading is about Nineveh.  Nahum preached to Nineveh about 100 years after Jonah (yeah the big fish story).  Nineveh was the capital of Assyria.  The long story short this time Nineveh was going to be destroyed, never to rise again.

A=

It is interesting how things come together.  I can look, listen and learn or repeat my actions and pay the consequences. 

Yesterday was a challenge for me so right now what do I remember?   Kevin’s (our oldest son) comment to Nana (my mother) about his brother and sister.  Nana, “Use yes or no questions, there are no but’s they’ll just argue with you.”

WOW --- arguing!  Ok, I get it!

And this morning’s coaching call simply restated it in yet another way! It is critical to have a 30-60-90 day plan in place or you simply repeat patterns and never grow.  Now this simple Proverb, if I want to be a prudent person, I will have steps in place to assure that I and those I am responsible to grow and develop.

P=

Lord, thank you for your word.  Thank you for truth.  Life left on its own is difficult. Yet, daily I am reminded that even before I was born you had all the days of my life in mind. Thanks for loving me so. It is my desire to learn and grow more in the understanding and knowledge of the absolutes in your word. There is life beyond me. Often I am unaware of others.  This morning’s Proverb is a good one for me to remember. 

Today it is the desire of my heart to be a living demonstration of you in this world.  Thank you, Lord.