This is an unapologetic plug for the power of “Time Blocking” Above is my calendar for next week. For years, I resisted the siren call of the practice of Time Blocking. After all, I was pretty much born an entrepreneur which (by definition) translates to being “FREE” to do as I please and ever imagining new and different (out of the box) ways things can be done. While that’s been fun through the years, there’s one very important piece that seldom happened . . . I rarely FINISHED what I started, because there were so many bright, shiny objects (squirrels) popping up in my peripheral field of vision which would distract my attention on the task at hand thereby shifting my focus elsewhere. I am still afflict by this condition as are SO many of my friends and colleagues . . . Birds of a fea... 08/20/2019

Don’t be smallAs I was doing my normal Monday “spool-up”, I was overwhelmed. I literally had a moment of panic when I looked at this daunting list of large projects I’m tackling simultaneously.   How can I possibly get all of this done?   Then I remembered that “We are all meant to shine”My panic quickly subsided when I realized how fortunate I am to be practicing my version of shining in spite of the FEAR I sometimes feel that I might not succeed.Worse yet . . . a fear of actually succeeding.Everyone’s definition of “Shining” is different. Today, I hereby invite YOU to pause for as long as you need to liberate yourself from any FEARS. When you get this, you’ll become a magnet attracting the right people into your life, as your liberation spawns other people’s liberation. Don’t play sma... 08/19/2019

Something breaks . . .You know it’s going to be an expensive fix, and you just paid all of your bills, and you know you don’t have the cash on hand to fix it now . . . What d’ya do? FIGHT? – BLOW UP and Blame it on someone else and make a scene. FLIGHT? – Practice denial and ignore it in hopes it will magically fix itself. CONSPIRE? – Find other people with similar issues and form a coalition to punish someone/anyone POUT! – Even worse . . . Choose deep depression because this happened to you, and it isn’t fair ACCEPT! . . . Most people react to this misfortune in the order above. Oh! Imagine how lucrative it could be to capture the energy expended in that herculean effort. Try this instead: Pause your game! Breathe! Count your blessings. No-one has died. Know that this will pass and wi... 08/16/2019

I see far too many people choosing this path of most resistance. These folks age MUCH faster than those who opt for the path least resistance. Not being who you are is exhausting. As is true with all lies, whether they be “innocent little white lies” or “persona/lifestyle lies”, the most difficult of living this dual existence is keeping up with (remembering) all of the necessary accumulated little lies an inauthentic person must disseminate over time. Why some people choose this path is not too difficult to fathom. When public and personal personas are not in alignment, we can feign status and fame and fortune so as to “keep up with the Joneses”. After all, publicly claiming high expertise and success will magically manifest realization of these dreams, right? If we can dream it, we ca... 08/15/2019

Pay attention to your surroundings. Be aware of subtle shifts and recurring happenings. Be curious when new and different ideas surface. Be a great “defensive driver” always honing your peripheral vision. Notice new patterns and themes showing up in your life experience. Often, the best opportunities are lurking in the shadows waiting to be discovered. How much potential do we squander as we plow through our tunnel vision regimens and carefully crafted plans? Listen for the meaning behind the message. Always carry a pen and a note pad just in case one of these game changing ideas emerges from the noise . . . CAPTURE these new ideas because they are inherently fleeting (flashes in the pan). These days, every sense we have is clouded by the incessant NOISE of digital entertainment, the 24... 08/13/2019

Some folks might think this happening to be unconscionable! For sure, it does tend to lean towards heresy in the world of Real Estate Sales much less for a Principal Broker embroiled in the day-to-day operation of a highly productive group of elite Home Selling Professionals. Rather than “recreate the wheel”, I am copying below my “opening of the week email” . . . This is a letter of admiration and gratitude to the Vital Few members of Pareto Realty. This is, indeed, a VERY special group of quintessential professionals . . . who managed to do something last week that NO one has been able to do in my entire life . . . They threw a surprise Birthday party for me on the Thursday before my departure for Maine. Here’s the email: “I have returned from our journey to Maine – That was a magical... 08/12/2019

No matter how dialed in our systems and processes are, we’re still fluid. This is not a choice because everything is always moving. We’ve gotta let go of rigidity and accept the value of being light on our feet – Flexible – nimble – adaptable – adoptable – and less attached to preconceived outcomes. I know this is difficult because you’re a control freak, and it drives you CRAZY when things don’t go as planned. The truth is that what really causes you to go CRAZY is your fault . . . You’re putting too much stock in your expectations. You know the quote: “The definition of insanity is doing all the same things and expecting different results“? Here’s another way of saying this that will definitely drive you CRAZY: “The definition of insanity is doing all the same things and expecting the... 08/01/2019

WORTH: the value of something measured by . . . its qualities or by the esteem in which it is held – a literary heritage of great worth –  moral or personal value MERIT, EXCELLENCE What is YOUR worth? What is your worth to others? What is the worth of others to you? Is considering the meaning of “worth” a worthy pursuit? If you were to live your life with a dedication to increase all facets of worth, how might that affect your health and happiness? Monday morning I woke up in a funk . . . I wasn’t feeling worthwhile. In fact, I even neglected my daily drive time video because my mindset was framed in worthlessness. I also had an excruciating headache . . . Such a pity party it was within my mind. I floundered through the morning and got nothing of worth accomplished, until I remembered... 07/31/2019

I think I am right in having the premise . . .that most of us REALTORS do what we do, in large part, to protect vulnerable home Buyers and Sellers from harm as a result of accidentally stumbling into a real estate transaction without representation. Nothing curdles my blood more than hearing stories of predatory entities taking advantage of an uninformed population whose sole desire is to participate in living the American Dream of home ownership. We can all stew about this as we see more “creative” real estate firm concepts emerging in our market and on the internet. Many of these concepts are selling “CONVENIENCE” . . . “We will buy/sell your house at a fair price, and you get to move whenever you want to move, and all you’ve gotta do is send us the address of the house, and we will s... 07/30/2019

Seth Godin published this post today: Too big to care “As brands get bigger (and bigger might be as small as an organization with just two people in it), policies kick in. Policies and budgets and bureaucracy. The brand has become too big to care. I mean, it might be big enough to pretend to care. To have policies that appear to set things right. But they don’t really care.” I published this yesterday: A drip is not a conversation This reminded me of this short video which I first saw (Ironically) at the NinjaSelling installation Maybe I’m delusional, but I believe that it IS possible to become BIG and FAMOUS and still care!   Published by Barry OwenStrategist-CEO of Pareto Realty Real estate sales Professional Inviter-Facilitator-Practicer of Open Space Technology Opening safe space f... 07/26/2019

In April of this year . . . I and 2 of my team members participated in the NINJASelling installation at Greater Nashville REALTORS. This was 4 VERY full, motivational days of intense learning. For years, I’ve been aware of the NINJA selling program, and I haven’t signed up because I’ve been practicing and coaching my own “way” of running a highly productive real estate career as a business while enjoying a high quality of life. I’ve named my program “Life Rhythm“. It’s an amalgamation of bits and pieces I’ve gathered in my first 15 years of building and operating my own personal way of doing business. In 1994, I saw Stephen Covey speak and was blown away by his “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” . . . Then I participated in Joe Stumpf’s “By Referral Only” coaching program . . . added... 07/25/2019

Here we are in the sandbox in preschool. We’re learning from each other how to negotiate. I’m shoveling some sand, and accidentally toss a load on my friend Sally’s head. Of course, Sally is initially surprised . . . Time freezes . . . She’s processing what just happened, and there are so many things running through her mind. She is not injured, but she is covered with sand. She wonders if I did that on purpose. Earlier this morning, Sally had awakened up on the wrong side of the bed. She was cranky, so she took this opportunity to blow off some steam. While I was laughing it off as being funny unintentional accident, Sally was deciding that I was the Devil and that I had, ON PURPOSE, thrown a bucket of sand over her head. Sally put her hands over her eyes and commenced a shrill wailing... 07/23/2019

How long has it been since you had a Maintenance week? Do you know what that is? We know that we must properly maintain our automobiles, home air conditioning systems, our teeth, and pretty much everything we own. If we fail to maintain our “tools” that make our lives easier, they will ultimately become less reliable. We must take whatever time necessary to “sharpen our saws” such that they perform well when needed. With respect to our “jobs”, how attuned are we to maintaining our own self/human assets? How long can you function at a high level when you’re in a veritable pressure cooker of new ideas, deadlines, projects, and lists of lists of things to do? Seriously! We can schedule every minute of every day with meetings and “WORK” . . . and still not get it all done. Next thing ya kno... 07/22/2019

Thor didn’t want to take his medicine this morning! All of the other dogs LOVE the Bravecto Chews they all get every 3 months, but not Thor! Bravecto is an awesome Tick and Flea medicine that makes the dogs toxic to those pests . . . A necessity if you’re gonne be a cannine in #OwenHollow because without, the dog becomes mass transaportation from outdoors to indoors for these critters. I haven’t tasted the chew – Looks like chocolate. This morning, I diced it and mixed it with bacon fat microwaved for 15 seconds to liquify it, and . . . Thor STILL didn’t want to eat it. I think Thor is smarter than all the other dogs – He knows that strange chew is MEDICINE, so he doesn’t want it. I don’t think he doesn’t like the taste . . . He’s being obstinate – Just doesn’t want to take his medicine... 07/19/2019

We learn by asking: “Why?” We learned this as children beginning as soon as we had the capacity to communicate. For the first several years of our lives, we questioned darn near everything. As we “matured”, our curiosity waned, and our questioning of: “Why?” started happening less. Why? Was it that we were getting “full”, and there wasn’t room in our brains for more information? Maybe it’s true that we humans only use 10% our brains, so we run out of space up there at an early age. Here’s an article that busts that myth – Do People Only Use 10 Percent of Their Brains? To some degree, I believe we have been taught not to be so curious . . . that it’s, in some way, inappropriate to question Why. “Formal Education” is one culprit . . . in addition to some parents silencing children when th... 07/18/2019

Consistent and persistent contact pays huge dividends IF the messages are relevant and deliver value. My ActiveRain Blog page Lifetime Stats: 2564 Blog Posts – 3,311,821 Views – 450 Followers WOW! That’s a LOT of “content”, and it didn’t get there over night. I add a post (almost) every working day. BarrysDriveTime.com has 350 short (6-16 minute) videos – Yep! I add one every day as I do my morning commute. My primary Blogsite BarryOwensBlog.com, is where I write almost everything I publish . . . and I republish most of that content on Facebook and Linkedin . . . Over time, this daily rhythm accumulates to be a veritable mountain of information. Truthfully, a percentage of what I post ain’t pretty or insightful or useful, but that’s OK because no-one is required to read it and/or like w... 07/17/2019

The invitation popped into my in-box, and the topic piqued my curiosity. I checked my calendar and confirmed that the day and time was doable, and I registered to attend. At that moment of my choosing to register, the topic resonated with me. As the event neared, I received a reminder email and was starting to have some reservations. Who else will be there? I’ve never heard of this presenter . . . Will attending this be worth the time and inconvenience invested? I’m feeling less resonant with the topic . . . It’s been a tumuluous couple of weeks, and I can think of a few hundred other things I could be doing instead of this. Right on the edge of deciding not to attend, that evil little pixie who dwells in my conscience began whispering in my ear. She said things like: YOU committed to b... 07/16/2019

Your parents set clearly defined boundaries, and you immediately began “testing” those boundaries. At first, your parents might not have noticed your sly rule breaking, and when they did notice, their reaction potentially set a precedent that would stay with you for your entire life. If they laughed and said it was was cute, “but don’t do that again!” . . . Perhaps they put you in time out – or spanked you – or took away privileges. “You’ve just lost your ice cream treat this afternoon!” Whatever the consequences, you likely tested again. Was the result the same . . . or different? Next, you might test Daddy’s tolerance for this rule infraction? Was his response consistent with Mom’s? Way back then, you were learning how to break the rules. It’s been said that “rules are made to be brok... 07/15/2019

I’ve been conducting an experiment. “The logic of the experimental method is that it is a controlled environment which enables the scientist to measure precisely the effects of independent variables on dependent variables, thus establishing cause and effect relationships. This in turn enables them to make predictions about how the dependent variable will act in the future.” Source It’s been argued that Amazon.com is so successful because of its amazing CONVENIENCE! No matter what you’re seeking it’s likely buyable from Amazon.com. My experience is that many prices are lower on Amazon than they would be in a retail store. For a small fee (@$120/yr), any member can become a “Prime Member” which pays for itself very quickly in terms of FAST and FREE shipping and delivery along with lots of... 07/12/2019

Is there an end to your rope? What’s your tolerance? I’d venture to say that we ALL have an end to our rope. Sadly, some people choose to continually length their rope rather than reaching the end. When your rope has no end . . . there are no boundaries. Ah yes! If you’re feeling defeated and downtrodden and feeling taken advantage of, you probably are. The difficult truth is that you got yourself into this mess, and you’re going to have to get yourself out of it. “THEY” didn’t do this to you! YOU did this to you! This was not a conscious decision you made one day . . . It happened over time. You allowed people and circumstances to stretch the boundaries (lengthen your rope) . . . and as long as you allowed this, the more territory they would usurp. Next thing ya know, you’re feeling ov... 07/11/2019