They Volunteered and Raised Their Own Rent

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     My wife and I started investing in buy-and-hold rental real estate a few years ago. We are looking to sustain a very comfortable retirement, as well as build a good additional piece to our legacy. Having abundance to us, means we have more to share or give away. We've been able to build a small nest egg, through some traditional employment we've had. And, we were able to leverage some of that to get us started. We're also helping other people create additional income from home. But, for now, I want to relate a story that just happened to us today, about our real estate.

     We've owned this one building for around 2 1/2 years now. We are not slum landlords by any means. Rather than take all possible income out of a building, instead, we treat it as the valuable long-term asset it is. When there are repairs, or upgrades that need to be made, we invest in them. We still take a profit, so we still have to weigh whether an investment is prudent now, or can wait a little bit of time. But, we keep it on the plan, and do what is needed.

     We have also developed a rapport with our tenants. From the moment they apply, we try to connect with who they are, and what they need, for a home. In fact, some form of the word "home" can be found in the name of each building's LLC. We've also shown some pay it forward kind of acts. We have gifted baked pies to all of our tenants on Thanksgiving. It was inspiring to us, when we were buying the pies, and whipped cream to go with them, in the store, a woman asked if we were having a party. Why were we buying so many pies. When we told her that we were buying them for our tenants, she told us to wait. She ran off into the store, and came back with a bottle of sparkling apple cider, for each of the pies, paid for them, and gave them to us to include.

     As great as that is, there's more. Today, as my wife was collecting rent from one of our tenants. The tenant told her that this was the last time she would receive that amount from them for the rent. Curious, my wife asked the tenant what they meant. She was then informed, that starting next month, the tenants were going to pay us an additional $50 a month. They went on to state, that they appreciated the way we treated them, and, the building they consider their home.

     Draw your own conclusions, or, be inspired, and change just one thing you do. Or not. I am again amazed at the blessings received when giving has been for the big picture and providing value for others without expectation of receiving anything in return. I am reminded, again, that giving is far better than receiving. And, it's contagious. Together, let's start our own viral explosion of paying it forward, and paying it back. Any challenge will be overcome, and awesome achievements will be accomplished when more of us share our abundance, lend a hand up, and give in a true positive spirit of love.

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with gratitude and in service,



Tony Koker
A Mentor with a Servant's Heart

How Do YOU Define Success?

How Do YOU Define Success?

      Do you find it noisy? Life seems to be an endless challenge by nature, the elements, our senses and our ability or lack thereof to keep going. I find I've developed a blinders-on mindset, when things get too noisy. Keeping focused on the most important one or two things, and letting everything else take care of itself. We are bombarded, but our ability to cope has to do with many different cycles. Did we get proper nutrition, yesterday? Did we have a good night's sleep? If not, do I need to make some changes today to fix that? We certainly have to deal with survival issues, first, right? Or, can we skimp here and borrow from another reserve? Maybe I can keep this streak going, just one more day, even though it is not optimum?

      I don't think that we can operate in any other way, than a blinders-on, heads-down way. Although our powerful brain is always processing hundreds, if not thousands or millions of stimuli and commanding responses, consciously we only get a glimpse of all of that. Bits and pieces we perceive as ideas or emotions - a combination of various senses constantly flow within our minds. However, the more focused, or single-minded we choose to become, all of that quiets down. It never goes silent. It just becomes the white-noise background.

      What do we choose to focus on? To be successful, I think we have to focus on those things that move us towards success. But do we recognize this, and, have we taken this control by developing the habit of commanding our mind to serve us? It all starts with what we desire to achieve out of life, I believe. Success has to be defined by us, individually. Too many of us identify with what we do for a living. Our job is our fixed routine where we focus all of our efforts. Everything else is done with what is left over. Were we born with the skills we use for this job? No way. We may have some talent, but in order to use that, we had to develop and hone our talents. We had to add skills, some which have nothing to do with the talents we have. To be successful, to me, means leaving a legacy which I've worked to establish by developing my talents and learning skills to accomplish the goals of my heart-felt desires. Once we ask ourselves to reflect and identify these desires, the rest is a one-day-at-a-time journey, where a slight edge is used to break free and own our life and legacy.

with gratitude and in service,

Tony Koker

P.S. If you are like me, and want to join with our group, where we work on our skills together, every week, then reach out to me and I'll plug you in.

Image Credit: CanStockPhoto.com

Knowledge, Music and Action

Specialized Knowledge

      I think this is sometimes called inside information. The tips, tricks, short cuts, details and secrets that people know, but may not share because of the power of the knowledge. The not sharing part is part of human nature, but is based in fear. You may have to tag or label your fear to embrace what it is for you, if this is still a big challenge for you, but for me it was fear of lack. I was afraid that if I shared the knowledge, I was somehow giving away something. That somehow my power or control was being lost. But I've come to understand that sharing information doesn't make us weaker, it helps us build strong trusting teams, who work together to raise the tide. When the tide rises, all ships rise together.

      I am confident in the knowledge that my knowledge is abundant. I have more than I need. The store house is bursting at the seams, and the doors need to remain swung fully wide open.

      I am also still needy. I am hungry and thirsty for more. I certainly don't know everything, and, even those things I think I get, often I find other perspectives or more clarity only over time and interaction.

      Reading books like The Slight Edge, Think and Grow Rich, and How to Win Friends and Influence People are certainly paths, when studied, that lead to deeper understanding and needed specialized knowledge. But, nothing compares to collaboration and mastermind. And, even with all of these resources at our disposal, none of it will matter without a crucial final ingredient.

      Action. At some point, based upon our desires, we have to set goals and start moving. We have to have the faith to proceed even when we do not have all of the evidence. Knowing what the music is, what it sounds like, how it is composed, and even how it is performed is all useless, unless it is actually performed. Do not let the show conclude and find you didn't play your masterpiece.

with gratitude and in service,

Tony Koker

Image Credit: CanStockPhoto.com

Specialized Knowledge - Idea, Knowledge then Action is Winning Plan

Specialized Knowledge

      This is the chapter that I think I get, before even reading it, because I've been technical since High School, but I've finally figured out what I had wrong.

      I've always associated specialized knowledge with that which most of us endeavor to acquire by going to school. We start off learning the basics, then, if we do well, we focus on something that interests us, or that we find fun, and continue with study of it in college. Although this is indeed a path away from general, learn-life-by-living-it knowledge, it is a plan that has been drawn up by others for us to accomplish their objectives. We are being trained to be good followers of someone else's goals and dreams if we simply follow the plan that getting this education is the end, in and of itself, or the job it lands us. We CAN use schools and other training successfully. There are many good examples given in the book in this chapter.

      What we're studying this week involves coming to grips with the specialized knowledge needed to accomplish OUR goals and dreams. Some specialized knowledge we can acquire from others, rather than trying to know it all by ourselves. This is a relief to me, because I know, although I'm perfect, just the way I am, I'm better equipped when I am able to collaborate and share my skills with other people. Together everyone achieves more. But, _I_ DO have to have some skills.

      I have to focus on the specialized knowledge needed exclusively for my desires. I cannot allow myself to become distracted. Being able to focus is an underlying component _I_ HAVE to deal with. I have to silence my negative thoughts. I have to silence the negative noise in my daily routines. I have to especially avoid those recurring thoughts that suggest things can be compromised or doing it later will be okay. It's NOT.

      Self-talk, or auto-suggestion, that we studied last week is the answer for me. This allows me to stay focused on the skills and knowledge I need, while quieting the noise. It reinforces the desires I am accomplishing. It infuses the emotion I need to stay positive and focused. It impresses upon my subconscious mind exactly how important this is to me. I have to repeat this, both mentally as well as out loud, so I HEAR it as well, many, many times a day.

      My subconscious mind responds by pushing me into action. Learning how to get leads, customers and prospects is the specialized knowledge I need, in addition to using my subconscious for motivation.

      Using our mastermind group I am able to tap into the specialized knowledge of others. I am also able to be tapped, like in a tag-team match, to help and assist others. I've found that the best lessons often come from the specialized knowledge of the apprentice, rather than the mentor. I never stop learning or gaining new insights. I'm still more the apprentice than the mentor, but my self-talk is keeping me strongly growing yet humble.

      Specialized knowledge is clearly shown as an important ingredient in the recipe for successfully obtaining the magical incarnation of my desires and growing my understanding of this has empowered me with high vibration energy to continue to take action.

 

      Thank you to everyone on the weekly calls. With your participation I am continuing to climb to ever more lofty heights of understanding and accomplishment in my desires, and, in my ability to reach my hand out to help others do the same.

 

with gratitude and in service,

Tony, Lisa, Michael and Amanda Koker

Image credit: CanStockPhoto.com