Inspired Real Estate For Today

Much of the news in Grand Rapids, Michigan recently has focused on what's leaving the State.  The list has be quite extensive...people (Michigan had more people leave than come to the State last year), factories and jobs, and this past week, a sad new entry...Heartwell Mortgage Company, a longtime Grand Rapids mortgage lender announced that it is closing its doors mid July.

You can imagine my surprise to experience a totally different side of this transition process this week.  I was involved in assisting a client to find temporary housing during a relocation move...TO GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN!  As we toured apartment complexes which had furnished rental units, we visited the Woodland Creek Apartment complex.  As I drove up to the leasing office, I could tell they were busy...they were loading clients to go out on tour.  But I didn't know how busy.

When we finally met with the leasing agent who handled the short term rentals, she indicated that out of 60 units, only 1 was available.  I was shocked.  I asked her who was renting all these units.  She indicated that individuals who were relocating TO WEST MICHIGAN were largely responsible for the upsurge.  This was quite contrary to what I expected to hear.

Later that afternoon, over an early dinner with our clients, we had a fascinating discussion.  My client used a term that I had not heard before.  He indicated that Michigan, particularly West Michigan, is poised for the 2nd Wave.  Understandably curious, I probed further.  What unfolded was educational...very, very educational.

It was a mini history/ economics lesson.  He began by explaining the rational by which companies make decisions regarding location and the viability of long term profits. 

Real estate is an important component in this mix.  In areas which have had record breaking appreciation rates, it becomes increasingly cost prohibitive for companies to bring in new hires and still remain competitive.  Consequently, the search begins to find locations which will support the necessary framework for expansion. 

West Michigan is now considered a viable prospect for these reasons.  The cost of living in West Michigan is very reasonable and real estate is plentiful and relatively cheap!  We have a hardworking job core, many of whom are skilled laborers.  The jobs they used to do are no longer available, hence the painful transition which has forced hundred of thousands to leave the state to seek their fortunes elsewhere.  But many workers are also taking advantage of lay-off packages to get re-trained in new fields and technologies.  A quick drive through the downtown area of Grand Rapids, Michigan reveals that something is percolating under the surface.  There are several major projects going on and the development of the bio tech industry is rapidly expanding.

Grand Rapids, Michigan is slated to be the site of the first Green Built Hospital (Metropolitan Hospital's New Campus) and the first Green Built Museum (the New Grand Rapids Arts Museum) in the state.  In fact, it is estimated that Grand Rapids, Michigan has more more square footage per capita under LEED certification than any other city in the United States. What's even more extraordinary is that the leadership in donations and vision has been through the efforts of private donors and corporations in conjunction with the state government.  The people of Grand Rapids have decided to invest in their future rather than let events chart an uncertain course.  These are pretty heady accomplishments and are pre-views for the progressive attitude which is emerging in spite of the challenges we are undergoing.

I found a very interesting press release from UC Berkley about the concept of the 2nd Wave.  The author Kathleen Maclay discusses the traditional meaning associated with the 2nd Wave which usually refers to job outsourcing...which we have experienced in record numbers through the loss of manufacturing jobs.  However, Maclay ends the article with a quote that may well be describing what is poised to occur in Michigan.  Here is is:  (keep in mind this article was written in 2003)

• But all is not necessarily gloomy for the United States' economy, the researchers say.
• For example, outsourcing of service jobs may prove more costly to the economy than the earlier wave of manufacturing outsourcing, conclude Kroll and Bardhan. This, they say, would be the case if the economy does not generate enough technological growth to replace the jobs lost with new ones and workers eventually find new work in lower-wage occupations.
• "On the other hand," says Bardhan, "continuing innovation and technological advances could allow the U.S. and California economies to keep the 'cream' of new development and higher-value-added jobs at home, while more routine activities are outsourced."
• This was the pattern for high-tech manufacturing outsourcing of California's low-wage assembly jobs during a downturn that brought productivity increases in its wake and a wide range of opportunities in new service jobs, he said

I'm excited about the prospects and opportunities that will emerge from the 2nd Wave...I think it's coming.  Are you prepared to ride it for all it's worth?  Governor Granholm recently named Grand Rapids, Michigan as a recipient for a $100,000 Grant to fund urban redevelopment as a Cool City. The revitalization of urban communities is transforming the nature of life in the downtown area.  This 2nd Wave in Grand Rapids, Michigan is poised to take Cool to a Whole New Level!

Copyright 2007 Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

 Click Here to Read More about Grand Rapids, Michigan

I had a number of errands to run today.  It's one of my rare office days when my schedule is my own to do with as I please - within the boundaries of getting my work done of course.  The day is gorgeous in Grand Rapids, so my youngest son and I take off in the car to enjoy being together and being outdoors.  He's immersed in a new book, so I pop in a Tony Robbins CD from his "Get The Edge Series."  He momentarily perks up to listen and then decides his book is more interesting.  I settle down. We're together...teenager & Mom...and this is a good thing... and it is enough. 

I've received the series as a gift several days ago.  As Tony begins to talk, I drift in and out of my private thoughts.  Then something he says arrests my attention.  He is asking a question...Did you have a Great Thought Interrupt Your Day today? 

It's a rhetorical question...the point being made that great thoughts rarely interrupt our days.  They come during moments of contemplation, relaxation or fun.  Seemingly from nowhere, ideas arise, solutions emerge and opportunities all of a sudden become visible.  But how...

You have to make time to Create!  Creation is an artistic discipline which must be nourished to thrive.  Creativity needs the spacious landscape of downtime...relaxation...to enable its effervescence to bubble to the surface.  As I listened to the CD, there were several insights that emerged. 

1.  Creativity must be Nourished & Protected.

For many years, I have devoted the first hour of my day to quiet contemplation and devotional reading. It is at these moments, when my mind is freshest and my thoughts have not yet begun to race unabated, that inspiration has aroused fresh passion within my soul.  Most of my teaching on spiritual life has been written during these times.  While my level of mental and spiritual stimulation is not always on "high alert", I have always been refreshed and more relaxed in starting my day this way.  The days when this time has been rushed or omitted have left a slight disjointed unsettling feel to life's activities.  Consequently, these moments must be treasured and protected. 

2.  Creativity Requires Time to Flourish.

A big mistake which I have often made or been tempted to make when I have an inspired idea is to talk about it...to anyone and everyone.  Experience has taught me that not every receiver of information is tuned in to give helpful or wise counsel and support.  Creative ideas are seeds.  They do need to be planted and worked into the soil. Inappropriate exposure will kill an emerging seedling of an idea.  Criticism, skepticism, scorn and misunderstanding are poisons that will effectively cut off its young life.

3.  Creativity Thrives on Expectation.

The 1989 Movie, "Field of Dreams"  the character Terrence Mann (played by James Earl Jones) encourages Ray (played by Kevin Costner) with this famous quote "If you build it, they will come" famous.  In a similar way, creative instinct also forces you out on a limb with reference to expectations. Expecting to be inspired has a way of creating opportunities for inspiration and creativity.  It's a matter of perspective. 

The fact is that inspiration is all around us.  We usually don't see it because we are walking around with our "eyes wide shut."  Creativity abounds within the peculiarities of nature.  It dances with delight in the mischievous smile of a child.  It mesmerizes within the dramatic flair of artistic expression.  Creativity jives with the beat of the drums or glides on the strains of the violin.  If you live in expectation...Creativity will come!

4.  Creativity is Invigorated by a Sabbath Rest.

I realized, only recently, that my understanding of the Sabbath was very shallow and misguided.  Earlier this year,  I picked up a fascinating book by a Jewish Rabbi, Rabbi Daniel Lapin called "Thou Shalt Prosper.  Ten Commandments for Making Money." 

In one section of the book,Rabbi Lapin writes about Consecrating Time for Forecasting and the power of being able to understand the soft, subtle signals that coming events send into the future.  According to Lapin, the reason we miss these signals is because we have neglected the necessary quiet time to take note of them.  To hear these muted messages, we must be willing to block out noise.  Only then will we be able to hear the soft and quick tread of rapidly approaching trends. 

Lapin writes: "the practice of Sabbath...a day of rest may seem to be governed by primitive rules, but its effect is to "create a tranquil oasis in time and space from which the future can be effectively contemplated.  For 25 hours each week, Jews are required to put aside all work-related objects and activities ....It is a regular weekly period of time during which their beings are set on "receive mode" rather than "transmit mode."

When I think about the frenzy that characterizes so much of the real estate experience, I wonder if we'd be much more effective if we worked in ways that enhanced rather than depleted creative momentum.  The average Realtor prides him/herself in being easily and continually accessible.  Downtime is often spent under the dull spell of a droning television set.  Open Houses are routinely scheduled for weekends and vacations are preceded by a whirlwind of activity to wrap things up before we leave. A flurry of appointments and emergencies are scheduled for when we return.  

May this be one reason that as an industry, we've missed some important messages that the market sent us and have found ourselves scrambling to react to trends rather than leading the way to creative solutions?  Perhaps, we have been so busy being busy that we've neglected the vitally important discipline of being quiet enough to observe, understand and then respond appropriately. 

Perhaps in failing to listen and quiet our collective heart and spirit, we have forged ahead without the strength of vision which only comes when you catch your breath, stand still and absorb the messages being transmitted to you.  You might think ...We can't possibly afford to do this...things are moving way too fast.  I challenge you with what may seem to be an absurdity...Perhaps there is too much at stake not to! 

*Editorial note:  This blog post was started some time ago...my day today was far more hectic. :)

*photographs of dandelions are courtesy of Dawn Endico on flickr

Copyright 2007 Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

A Sneaker advertisement in the latest issue of Vanity Fair magazine  (June 2007) captured my imagination.  Coverse brand of sneakers to be exact.  A Sneaker Ad about Healthy Cultures and Creativity.

Healthy Cultures...the definition  according to Converse:

"Healthy Cultures Nurture Creativity.  They help breathe life into the people who live within them.  Offer an array of perspectives to agree with, to fight against, to expand on or challenge."

"A Healthy Culture Welcomes Dissent.  Listens for the sound of new voices.  Supports original imaginations."

"Healthy Cultures are full of artists.  When hope dies, so does creativity.  When culture is lost, so is the Future."

"Indifference is the enemy.  Nothing is inevitable if you're willing to think.  Nothing is unattainable if you're willing to fight."

The ad which highlights the worldwide initiative to eliminate AIDS in Africa asks a question...How can we use our creativity within the context of culture to be an agents of change?  This was a fitting entry for Converse to feature in Vanity Fair's June edition which focuses on Africa and is Guest edited by Bono (U2). 

So, why is a sneaker company talking about Culture and expanding the definition way beyond the normally accepted boundaries of geographic location, socio economic statistics, politics and commonly acknowledged people groups?  Well, perhaps it is because the Internet has exploded the barriers that used to define culture into oblivion...forever!

Culture is rapidly morphing from a place where one participates within the more limiting contexts of physical or emotional space to include the abstract equivalent  in virtual reality and on-line communities.  Recognition of this reality links health and environment together in a manner that re-defines the rapidly expanding role of the artist and creativity.  

The artist...aka the writer & the contributor, are recast in roles that highlight the importance of dissent and the clarion call of the "unique voice" offers a vivid refinement of the definition of health.  The meaning  of the old adage..."birds of a feather flock together," shifts delivering new insights into how the modern day flock emerges.

• "Healthy Cultures breathe life into the life into the people who live within them.  Healthy Cultures offer an array of perspectives.  Nothing is inevitable if you're willing to think!  Indifference is the enemy."  (Converse Ad - Vanity Fair 2007)

The articles in this issue of Vanity Fair re-imagine global relationships.  Bono interviewed by ABC News (you can watch the interview below) indicates that our relationship with Africa as a continent will be the true test of whether we believe in equality.  Can we get beyond the limiting prejudices and widely cast images that are a sad caricature of a vibrant and eclectic continent of people whose wealth of humanity has much to teach and inspire? 

Bono's genius is his ability to bring seemingly disparate groups of people together in recognition of our common and therefore powerful humanity.  Hence, 20 magazine covers for this months issue feature combinations as inventive as Barak Obama and Muhammad Ali, George W. Bush and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Bono and Condoleezza Rice  and Oprah Winfrey and Bill & Melinda Gates.  "Healthy Culture Welcomes Dissent.  Listens for the Sound of New Voices.  Supports original imaginations.  In this case perhaps we could add...Supports incredible combinations."  And why not?

Sneakers are what we wear when we're exchanging the limiting constraints of formal wear shoes to be more comfortable and more flexible. Sneakers are what we wear when we really need to be able to be flexible, to move, walk...run and play.  Sneakers are shoes in which we engage with the world...not simply tippy toe through it.  Sneakers are what we wear when we need to move with the freedom of our entire body!  Next to our bare feet, sneakers are the closest thing to healthy footwear that most of us possess.

So, is your Physical, Relational and Virtual culture healthy?  Are you a Sneaker Warrior?

To watch Bono interview...click here.

"We've been waiting for you to call.  When are you going to come and list our house?"  A little startled, I inquired about how long they had been waiting.  I had just been notified that a referral had come through and had called...I thought immediately.  After apologizing for a breakdown in communication, an appointment was scheduled in short order. 

3 offers and 4 months later she's waiting again.  But, this time, she's waiting for her appointment to sign documents at the Closing of her home.  I'm just a few minutes late due to having to fill up for gas...my son's been driving the car and on the way to the closing, I find I'm driving on fumes.  It's been quite a ride.  Grand Rapid, Michigan is going through a challenging period in real estate.  Currently, many homes are waiting 11-12 months to sell and get one offer.  So I know you're wondering...what's up with 3 offers?

Well, Offer #1came in with what we were assured was a pre-approved buyer.  As the nascent transaction progressed, the buyer developed into a marginally approved buyer and finally morphed into an unapproved buyer.  All this in a space of a couple of weeks.  Thank God, we didn't find out at the closing table.  Next!

Offer  #2 was definitely approved. In fact they had just lost out on a bidding war on another house.  They loved the house and wanted to close quickly!  Excellent.  The paperwork was completed and inspections were ordered. Everything seemed to be proceeding smoothly...or so we thought.  Then the Sub-Prime Lending industry crashed. 

We were never informed that our "Conventional" transaction was in fact a Sub-prime deal.  So when news of the crisis in the sub-prime industry  began to bombard the airwaves, and calls to the lender to inquire on the progress of the transaction went unanswered, we demanded to know who was underwriting the loan.  Suddenly, NO ONE could give this Top Secret information.  No one could guarantee that they could close the loan either.  Another one bites the dust. 

My client was understandably very disappointed.  We assured her that we were in a far better position than those who had closed their deals that Friday, only to be informed on Monday that the homes they thought were Sold were NOT!  We suggested looking at a price reduction to create momentum for another offer. 

Then the knock came on the door.  Apparently, some buyers were in the neighborhood and wondered if they could look at the house.  I had warned them to not let anyone in if they showed up without a scheduled appointment...you never know who may just show up at the door. But his wife wasn't home, so the husband decided to take a chance and let them in.  It's true when they say real estate is never boring or predictable.  The "drop-in Buyers loved the home and with some coaching proceeded to write a good offer...Offer #3

The rest as they say is history.  Today, sitting in the Closing, we reminisced on the happenings of the past 4 months.  We were thankful to be sitting at a Closing Table, when so many who were seeking to sell their homes were not.  The last offer was the best offer...the best is sometimes saved for last!  But the focus of our time today was not on all the things that didn't happen the way we hoped or planned but on all the wonderful, good things that did fall into place sometimes unexpectedly. 

As we waited, she told me the story of how she met the love of her life, and shared the plans for the going away party he was planning to Celebrate this New Stage of their lives together.  She'd promised herself that she wouldn't cry...but she fought back tears as she described her life in this home with mixed emotions...bittersweet. It was a touching tale of pain and the triumph of hope through difficult times.  Kind of like the sale of the home. 

The new owners are getting a lovely, well maintained home in a good neighborhood where people watch out for each other.  With the assistance of a Spanish translator, the new owner and former owner exchanged information about the community and how neighbors keep their yards ablaze with flowers during the summer.  It was a touching moment.  A little unique slice of the American Dream being passed through on through the tradition of home ownership.

Throughout the closing, I was entertained by watching two cute toddlers scamper around  They were oblivious to the serious transaction that was taking place.  This was a tangible reminder that in spite of our differences in upbringing, culture and perspective...we all want the same thing...a safe place to call our own...a place to scamper and roam with abandon, simply...a place to call home!

Copyright 2007  Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

To Read & Find other Affordadable Homes in Grand Rapids, Michigan...click here

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To Read About Why This is the Best Time to Buy in Grand Rapids, Mi...read here

homes for sale: Rapid Home Sale Generated by A Focus on Some Simple Things!

homes for sale: How to Successfully Sell Your Home During the Holiday Season!

We're at the halfway point for the year & it has come mighty quickly!  This year, for the first time, the Grand Rapids, Real Estate Association of Realtors(GRAR) launched an ad campaign with the focus "Now is The Right Time to Buy!" 

While advertising does not create instantaneous results, it is helpful to see how our market is comparing with the newly revised market predictions form the National Association of Realtors. (NAR)  First, let's take a look at the local scene.

So far, this year, the highest sales price in the Grand Rapids, Michigan School District has been $479,000 which was just about 1/2 the price of the highest sale price for East Grand Rapids, Michigan ($1,375,000) and 5-10% lower than some neighboring communities such as Hastings, Michigan where the highest sales prices was $488,000 or Jenison, Michigan school district where the highest sales price was $520,000.  To Search for Homes by School District click here...

Average sales prices for 2007 have hovered around $108,000 with the median price at $105,000.  We're still lagging behind last year in terms of average sales price & some other key indicators. 

Last year, the average home in Grand Rapids, Schools sold for approximately $117,000 and the median was $114,000.  That translates to a 7.6% Decline in Average Home Values in the Grand Rapids school district over the past year.  

In terms of the Number of Units...at the 1/2 Mark of the Year,  there have been just slightly less than 1/2 the number of homes sold over the entirety of last year. The number of listings for the entire Board is up this year by about 1300+ units for statistics compiled up to May 2007, but the Sales Price aggregate for Listings is below last years numbers significantly.

This is NOT the time to over-price a home!  Take a look at the graph below...The yellow bars correspond to 2007.  If a home was priced correctly and on the market for a week or less in 2006 & 2007, most homeowners got pretty much what they were asking for.  If the home was on the market for over 90 days, Deep Discounts kicked in if homeowners had to sell their homes.  The price correction for over-pricing is even STEEPER than it was for 2006...We're talking discounts of up to 25%!  Ouch!

How Does Grand Rapids Fare...

in comparison to National Statistics?

According to the National Association of Realtors Housing Market Focus, the revised predictions call for a 6.4% drop nationwide in existing home sales. At the beginning of the year, the forecast had indicated a stabilization of the market, with a moderate increase in sales. 

Factors which have impacted the forecast nationwide include the crisis in the sub-prime lending industry.  In the greater Grand Rapids, Michigan area, this has been compounded by continued sluggish growth in the economy due to job losses. 

To obtain a detailed report on the market in your particular city or West Michigan community, contact us at info@auduhomes.com.

*Information is obtained from the statistical reports compiled by GRAR & is deemed to be accurate but not guaranteed.

Copyright 2007 Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

 Click Here to Read More about Grand Rapids, Michigan

Two articles in Newsweek Magazine literally grabbed my attention.  Blogging is rapidly transforming our world!  In some other parts of the world, Bloggers are so intimidating to the "powers that be" that they are being sent to jail!  Would you be willing to go to Jail for the Content You Write in Your Blog?

I initially read the print version of Dan Ephron's Newsweek magazine article (June 11, 2007) entitled "Unwanted Attention."  The issue that was highlighted was the efforts of Arab dissidents using blogging as a means of political protest.  One Syrian Blogger, Ammar Abdulhamid, now in exile is confined to blogging about the events in his country and other parts of the Arab world from his home in Washington DC.  The article indicates that Abdulhamid  has "watched as regimes from Tunisia to Iran jailed bloggers and intimidated others into ditching their keyboards."

According the Ephron, it is just recently that governments in the Middle East have begun to understand  the power that influential bloggers can have on affairs of  State.  And they're not necessarily pleased with what they perceive...hence jail or severe censure for some blog writers who threaten to upset the status quo with their opinions.

This angst is not limited to the Arab world.China is also monitoring Bloggers much more assiduously.  According to an on-line article by Newsweek writer Sarah Schafer, entitled "Blogger Nation", there are now 1 Million Active Bloggers in China.  Although this number is small  in comparison to the percentage of registered Bloggers which number 30 Million, it is a HUGE increase within the past couple of years.  By comparison, the United States has between 15 Million to 30 Million active Bloggers.

So, why is it a big deal?  Well, this is a Big Deal because in some of the world's most populous nations, the individual voice has historically been severely curtailed.  When it was heard, if at all...it spoke in muted whispers, cloaked in fear & wary of being singled out or intimidated.  Most of the time, the individual voice was smothered in TOTAL silence, despairing of ever being heard in totalitarian systems that oppressed people and deprived them of basic human rights.  Blogging has given the individual back his voice...with a ROAR that could not have been anticipated or easily silenced.

It's been a two edged sword, an unconventional weapon of warfare defined by the  rapid fire of posts typed with staccato clicks onto a keyboard & then launched into the world.  The blogger's post has succeeded masterfully in evading the slow detection methods of the Government Censors to blast open conventions & norms that had been impregnable fortresses for centuries.  All this in 24 Months....

The democratization of such a potent force is an inherent strategic challenge to most power structures.  The power of Blogs to communicate with authority & influence can be likened to the difficulty a nation state has to fighting guerrilla warfare.  How does an organized batallion of infantry defend against an enemy of One?  How do you quickly identify the enemy combatant who slips in & out of uniform or never wears it at all, merely merging into the population when expedient? 

Similarly, how do you police the content of a medium in which millions sign up and contribute just one post before disappearing into the vacuous ethers of the blogosphere never to be heard from again?  How do you monitor everything that's being said by everyone at anytime?  On what basis do you Create the Rules?  Who Will Enforce Them?  And How?

This discussion is not merely occurring overseas.  It is a topic which is rapidly emerging as a focal point at the National level for the real estate industry.  Recently at the National Association of Realtors (NAR) convention, Blogging was briefly addressed & then tabled until November according to a blog post by Real Estate Trainer, Monika McGillicuddy in which she described her participation in the Professional Standards Committee meeting. Among the issues which Monika refers to in her post, "NAR Looking at Blogs" are:

1.  Realtors responsibility for monitoring & editing their blogs and the blogs of those licensed to them

2.  Realtors posting anonymous or unflattering (but true) comments to other Realtor's blogs

3.  Issues with the delay in Blog Comment Postings...Disclosure regarding whether a Blog is run on "Real Time"

One quote from the blog post made me pause in sober reflection;  Monika, referring to her experience at a National Forum for real estate professionals writes:

"One thing I learned while in DC is that there are many-many people who have no clue what blogging is and surprisingly people in important positions who do not see any merit in blogging and will not encourage their sales associates to blog!"

As I reflect on this statement, I wonder if we flatter ourselves somewhat in thinking we far more progressive than governments across the world who are reacting rather than responding the the challenges of this New Age.  They too are responding to the challenges of dealing with a world in cyberspace that they do not understand or refuse to acknowledge.  In this new arena, the implications of not understanding the impact of this medium does not bode well for the creation of policy to protect and enhance the welfare of our organization.  Blogging is a powerful tool!  The essential elements of it's practical implications must be fully grasped if we are to effectively grapple with the scope of issues which are transforming the politics of conversation. 

Blogging has released the power of a Single Voice in much the same way that the splitting of the atom released the awesome & fearful specter of nuclear energy in the atomic bomb.  There is reason to be cautious  and deliberate about determining the best way to move forward.  It is a force that can be ignited for tremendous good...it is also capable of bringing out the worst in us.  There is also wisdom in the knowledge that we cannot go back...this genie has shattered the bottle from which it escaped!

The pastoral homily today offered a modern perspective on a ancient biblical tale about gates & entrance ways...narrow & broad.  Our pastor recounted a recent visit to a lovely Chicago neighborhood.  He was having difficulty in trying to locate his friends' home; a stately old mansion, barely visible from the street and shrouded by dense foliage.  

He recalled driving up & down the boulevard trying to locate the residence while continually passing the well marked grand entrance to a popular park that draws a steady stream of traffic and thousands of visitors on the other side of the road.  

Two gates, Two entrances...one so easily accessible that the momentum of traffic towards it pulls with magnetic force. The other, so obscure that finding it required tremendous  concentration to reveal the narrow path into the pristine, serene beauty of a gracious, historic home site.  A practical example of "The Road Less Traveled"...words immortalized by the poetry of Robert Frost & the book by M. Scott Peck.  In today's service the focus was on honoring our graduates. This was a timely message about life & the methodology by which choices influence the course of life.

The impact of significant choices is rarely fully recognized.  This is because we misunderstand the nature of what truly matters in the wider scheme of things.  Much of what we pay so much attention to may succeed in propping up the ego, but accomplishes little else.

Many of us would prefer, if the truth were told, to have our choices, at least the good ones, emblazoned with the wide, impressive entrance marker of recognition, accolades and high praise.  This would serve to validate the importance of what we had accomplished. Instinctively the human soul craves support and acknowledgement.  

However many of my most important choices have been made in total obscurity, their significance only fully recognizable to me in hindsight. I find myself reflecting on a few quiet decision points that  significantly influenced the course of my life.  The quiet moment when I knew that I was to continue my college education in the United States.  My family didn't have the financial resources to enable this heart decision...but I felt that the matter somehow resided beyond the realm of monetary provision.  Or the decision to quit my job as a marketing specialist in a large food service firm to concentrate on the raising of my young family. These decisions did not receive many accolades and in fact were sometimes misunderstood.

Life has a way of creating circumstances which force you to make decisions. Quitting a good job when everything about my life, education and training pointed towards a career in the corporate arena, to stay at home & then teach my children seemed incredulous to many well meaning friends and even family members.  But, I knew that was what I needed to do.  As we recently celebrated the significant accomplishments of our son, Michael, in his educational goals, I am humbled at the grace & courage that enabled us to make some unusual choices that have reaped exponential results.  Kids don't wait for you to take a career break before they grow up.

There have been other profound moments of choice that were even more obscure than the realities described above.  These have been decisions of the heart.  Decisions such as facing with honest clarity the consequences of choices that I've made which were not appropriate.  These quiet moments have served to enlarge my life in miraculous ways.  For example, the choice to extend forgiveness to myself and to others even when it has not been requested or the wrong acknowledged has freed my body, soul and spirit time & time again from debilitating emotional shackles. 

The entrance to the road less traveled is rarely clearly marked.  Barren of obvious signposts, it has often scared me to contemplate what might happen if no one supported me on the journey.  The road less traveled disguises its unique gifts;  packaging life's most intimate & important lessons in ordinary moments.  Choices which no one necessarily sees.  Choices such as choosing to walk in obedience to gentle whispers of guidance, supporting another's success from the heart or speaking the truth with respect & love may not seem earth shattering when first presented, but the implications for creating a fulfilling life are enormous.

We often mistake the little lie, the petty jealousy and the undisclosed prejudice as mere insignificant matters.  The narrow path reveals how much the "small stuff" does matter & how far reaching these routine attempts to avoid a life of integrity actually cost.  If we choose to quiet the noise in our heads, and listen to the murmur of our hearts, we will hear the beckoning wisdom of the road less travelled showing us the ways in which we have sacrificed relationships, our health & our sanity because we chose the convenience of the broad path.

The path of life & true contentment requires the engagement of many small choices which may not be popular but which will expand to reveal a  wide spacious life that stretches the realm of possibility.  I am learning that the narrow road means that you may not encounter large numbers of fellow travelers but those you do come across will enlarge your life in a manner that thousands of merry revelers and bystanders simply cannot.

Copyright 2007 Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

Read more Inspiration & Motivational articles... 

You never know what you might unearth or where you might end up when you follow a link down a cyberspace bunny trail.  This find started with a drop in visit to Ed Rybczynski's blog & curiosity about the mention of a sight called slideshare.  If you've wondered what the future holds...slide on over & watch!

 It's hard to appreciate the enormity of the change that is happening in our world.  This slideshow was a stylized adaptation of a presention by Karl  Fisch which examined his perceptions for America in the 21st century global economy. I found this very thought provoking. What do you think?