Guess who’s back, back again… Teti’s back, tell a friend!
Oh it feels good to be back in the blog scene. We’ve been doing some very exciting things here at Princeton, so I am sorry about the short hiatus. It’s kind of like when those authors go off the grid and then show back up with a full series of Harry Potter novels. Well… maybe not to that scale but you get the idea.
Yesterday marked my 1-year anniversary here at Princeton Mortgage. Now you may think that the title of this blog means that I’m just going to tell you all the great things that have happened over the past year (I did start writing blogs, check out my first one here). That’s not the case, mainly because you probably don’t care, which is totally fine. However, this past year has been a roller coaster – a lot of highs, and moments to celebrate; and a lot of tough times, and moments to reflect. Which is exactly how I would have expected this past year to go. We all know the old saying… “if it was easy, everyone would do it” -unknown. I’m going to reword this phrase a little bit… If it is easy, you’re probably doing something wrong. Or even better… you’re probably not challenging yourself to reach your full potential. In a weird way, I appreciate the “losses” more than the “wins” because those are the opportunities to learn and become better.
Speaking of learning, I am going to reflect on 4 specific things that I’ve learned to value over this past year, in hopes that at least 1 person reading this will connect with and try to make themselves better.
Self-awareness: The moment we realize what we’re good at is the moment we can truly start to bring value and happiness to our lives. And to add another layer, self-awareness is realizing when you are wrong or don’t know the answer to a question, and then having the humility to admit it. I’m not upset that I’m not in the NBA (I’m 5’7’’ on a good day), but I guarantee you that Lebron James can’t price out a loan scenario. Keep everything in perspective.
Empathy: This is a tough one to grasp, and it took me some time to really understand what empathy is. Empathy is not telling someone that you feel bad for them. Empathy is emotionally putting yourself in their situation, so you can feel the true pain that they are feeling. When someone tells you… “Hey I got a big bonus this year!”, how many of us react by saying, “that’s awesome, congrats!”, but deep down you’re upset or jealous? True empathy is feeling the exact same amount of excitement for that person – not just saying it, but actually feeling it.
Patience: Patience is hard for so many reasons. It can be extremely frustrating when you are moving at a pace much quicker than someone else. And true patience incorporates self-awareness & empathy – having the patience to take the time to figure out what you are and aren’t good at and being empathic for others who aren’t moving at your speed. One thing I try to always keep in perspective…micro speed – macro patience. Move quick and hustle through your day-to-day but have long-term patience and don’t take any shortcuts.
Gratitude: This one seems simple and straight forward, but it’s easy to overlook and goes such a long way when it’s shown. Whether it’s a simple email saying good job, or a quick text message telling someone how much you appreciate them, expressing true gratitude strengthens relationships, improves health, reduces stress, and in general, makes us all happier.
Now for a quick recap of what’s been going on:
Rates have been pretty steady, and have actually dipped a bit
Pittsburgh is the (2nd) most livable city in the country, only behind Honolulu. I mean, come on, it’s Hawaii.
President Trump continues to help Twitter stay relevant
Princeton Mortgage is ready to take over the industry
Cheers!
JT
Photo by Taylor Barber on Unsplash
The opinions expressed in this post are the sole view of the writer and do not reflect the opinion of Princeton Mortgage Corporation.