Dirty Hands
Dirty Hands
The real estate auction season for the Zimmerman officially began in the middle of July. I kicked it off at the beginning of the month by creating and sorting our list of properties to inspect. This journey ends– hopefully – with a property purchased, cleaned, repaired, and sold. All who participate will be paid from the income generated – including my children who help with physical labor. It is hard work and requires long hours, but is bolstered by quality and quantity time with my children.
On Saturday, July 20th, I went north to the Upper Peninsula with my older girls and checked out 5 possibilities. We left our house at 5:00am and returned at 1:30am on Sunday morning. No, I don’t usually try to stay up for more than 16 to 18 hours at a time but this journey was a comedy of errors to include a 1-hour detour less than an hour away from my house!
This past weekend, my oldest son and I went to eastern Michigan to check out another 20 properties over 2 days spanning close to 1,500 miles! Although this is our third time taking this journey, I continue to emphasize to my children before we depart,that the entire day will be spent in the car. This time, I pressed my son to see if he was sure he wanted to go considering he just recently returned from camp. Saying no at first, I started to interject that I could again take the girls. He quickly quipped “… but I want to get paid!” I smiled and laughed at the same time as he was visibly weighing his opportunity cost right in front of me.
Pithy sayings are abundant in my house and in my family. When I was younger, I needed to be reminded by my grandmother that “even the cows need to be milked on Sunday” when I lazily protested working on my “day of rest”. My brother – a former mechanic turned electrician – has regularly reminded my kids that “dirty hands make clean money”. After my smile penetrated his exasperation, I glowingly shared that I was pleased that he understood that sometimes, “you must travel great distances and experience great adventure before you can earn a great reward.”
Questions to Ponder
I recognize that not everybody will travel far and wide to earn their living, but I do like the lessons that it presents. Great effort, great adventures, and great rewards, will not come without a cost. As a matter of fact, sometimes they cost us dearly. But I believe that a life without cost (risk) is merely passive existence. It’s a life overshadowed by the fear of the unknown. It is a life that is enslaved by past choices and other people’s dreams. So let me ask you this.
When are you tempted the most to retreat to your “day of rest” when instead you need to get up before the crack of dawn like the dairy farmer to milk the cows on the Sabbath? What will motivate you to disturb your slumber?
You don’t have to be Mike Rowe to do a dirty job. What jobs or tasks do you need to engage in that will require you to be proverbially “knee deep in the mud and up to the elbows in filth” in order to experience a great reward?
As a matter of fact, take Adm. William McRaven’s advice when you’re in deep... “Start singing when you are up to your neck in mud”. It will foster endurance!
To avoid slavery to past choices and the dreams of others, what job will you take that that…
Will require you to travel great distances (figuratively or literally)?
Will require you to create a great adventure?
Will produce great rewards?
This is to you overcoming your aversion to risk, to satisfying your curiosity, and to fostering your sense of agency! Keep up the great work!
P.S. I love stories about courage? Tell me about how you overcame your fears. If you need crafting your financial story of courage, send me a message, so we can figure out what your next steps should be.