Exuberance is contagious! Exciting stuff (and people) are fun! Fun is infectious . . . attractive and even beautiful. We want to be all that, and we crave hanging out with with people who are lovers of life. Where do we sign up for this exclusive club? This part is the most difficult yet easiest of all . . . Membership is automatic in the instant that we choose to celebrate – well – everything and everyone for what and who they are. This is acceptance – warts and all! The only rule in the book is to practice the fine art of letting go. Non-attachment to the outcomes . . . Truth without judgement . . . Here’s the whopper . . . all of this can – POOF – disappear into the thin ether instantly upon an alternative choice. It IS this simple! Happiness IS a choice that can, in a micro-second, ... 09/10/2019

When you’re opting in or enrolling in a new subscription, convenience is amazing. On-line enrollment is FAST and EASY and EXCITING! One click from the front facing sales page is the Credit Card entry portal. A few more “selection” clicks, and you’re DONE! Later . . . When you don’t need the service anymore, most companies seem to go the route of making it nearly impossible to cancel. In fact, many companies make it impressively inconvenient to complete a disconnect order. Today, I decided to cancel my membership to the Middle TN YMCA because I have been getting my exercise differently (Hiking and working out at home). I thought I would use their swimming pool but it turned out I wasn’t motivated to swim, so they were happily collecting monthly $63. That’s my fault. I bought something I ... 09/09/2019

Two kinds of 9 to 5 job Seth Godin NAILED some thoughts I’ve been thinking that I was having difficulty articulating: “The eight-hour workday is precious and humane, and difficult to find in an era of always-on communication.” “the contributor who brings so much emotional energy, thoughtfulness, risk-taking and passion to the job that they leave nothing in reserve.” “More hours is the only option if you’re not willing to put your heart into it.” Last Sunday, my friend Buck treated me with VIP Backstage Passes to the Finale day of Nashville’s best musical festival Live on the Green. We literally had the best seats in the venue – Stage side. For us, The best part about the show wasn’t the music (which was FABULOUS) . . . It was the people we met and got to know because the volume of the m... 09/06/2019

The Perfection TrapEvery morning, I do a Facebook Live broadcast while driving to the office. This is “raw” (unedited) stream of consciousness thinking spilling out of my (not quite fully awake) brain. Some days are better than others. Here’s a link to Http://BarrysDriveTime.com where you will see 378 videos . . . The quality of content and production ranges from ridiculously poor to “game changing” brilliance, and NONE of these videos come anywhere near what anyone might consider to be . . . “Perfection” I’ve learned not to get caught up in the minutia of “doing it with perfection” because my goal is to deliver relevant, inspiring, transparent messages using real life scenarios. I guess what I am doing is “documenting” the “Wins, Losses, and Draws” that occur as Barry Owen flows throug... 09/05/2019

I was feeling fat and lazy the past few months. The truth is that I had not been exercising enough and was in a spiralling down “food quality” trend. Please indulge me as I divulge my “excuse” for letting myself go . . . It’s been stifling HOT and HUMID here in Nashville for a LOOOONG time, so exercising outside was out of the question. A couple months ago, I signed up for a membership at the YMCA and declared that I would develop a habit of going to the gym and swimming and all that . . . It didn’t happen because I don’t have the proper gear – No tennis shoes – No swim goggles – and it’s been VERY easy not to have the time to go to the gym. So . . . The YMCA gets my monthly $65 donation, and my physical deterioration continues unfettered. In the interest of “being comfortable”, I’ve ma... 09/03/2019

This is for anybody considering earning a Real Estate Sales License in Tennessee. I’m writing this today because I am aware that there are MANY newly licensed agents out there who did not do this essential part of launching a successful real estate sales career. Every Real Estate office is uniquely not for everyone. For you to succeed in this exciting occupational pursuit, it’s vital that you enter with curiosity and eyes wide open. Before you do this, please consider the following 20 things to think about. WHY do you want to do this? Will this be a new Career for you or a part time gig? Do you know what you have to do to get this license? (I’ve copied the Requirements of the TN Real Estate Commission at the bottom of this post) Once you have the license in-hand, do you have a plan for ... 08/30/2019

Is playing to win a short-sighted strategy? When we always focus on the WIN, we’re subjecting ourselves to the probability of many disappointments over time. This “WIN or BUST” mindset creates conditions ripe for “Roller-Coaster Performance”. When we win, we are high on life . . . When we lose, we are “defeated”. Of course, winning is more enjoyable for most non-masochists. Being defeated seldom feels good and indubitable tosses into the grief cycle (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance). Isn’t it exhausting to ride this roller-coaster of extreme highs (WINS) plummeting to devastating lows (losses) when the only “acceptable” outcome is a WIN? So . . . ALL of the eggs are in the WIN basket, and there are no excuses for losing, because when we lose, we are “LOSERS”. Who wants... 08/29/2019

The benefits of being “TOO BUSY”  You get to be choosy! When you’re “TOO BUSY”, it’s much easier to say “No!” to “Got a minute?”s. Suddenly the IMPORTANT things become more clear. Focus shifts from “doing what’s on the list” towards the things we “get” to do because they matter (more). You can unapologetically and confidently set appointments instead flying by the seat of your pants. When you’re TOO BUSY and you know it, you must pause for a moment upon completion of every “thing to do” just for a minute or 2 to shift mindset to the next important thing. You’ve gotta accept the reality that you probably won’t get it ALL done today, give yourself permission to “erase and replace”TODO’s” to defer them to a time in the future. You become more attentive to the important distinction between ... 08/28/2019

Who is this about?I took a deep breath (and a walk around the office) before sitting down to write this. I am a member of MANY on-line forums . . . and “real in-person” gatherings. All of them have clearly defined themes which serve a variety of populations. The ones relevant to me are about Open Space Technology, Real estate sales and Brokerage, Entrepreneurs launching and building businesses, myriad others relating to “Quality of life” (Motivational) , and ancillary businesses and/or web tools to support these main pursuits. Over the years, I’ve noticed many of these forums morphing from being about “supporting” each other to . . . something else. The naysayers, combatants, egotists (Knowitalls) seem to be “winning” in terms of filling these spaces. Do nice guys really finish last? Do... 08/27/2019

Always remember that every new week provides new possibilities. This is vibrant thinking . . . that you might not ever have thought of goals commensurate with your human potential. I’m thinking about “Goals” this morning. Goals can be “Limiting Beliefs” if not coming from the heart. Great marketers aren’t dumb! They know that we’re not selling houses any more than Auto Manufacturers are selling Automobiles . . . We are all selling Lifestyle. So . . . When we set goals, we’re potentially veering off course when we set goals for a certain number of transactions or volume sold. This is one subtle differentiation of Pareto Realty VS many other Real Estate Firms . . . We DO talk a lot about selling more houses and jest about my (Principal Broker/Owner) need for new shoes, but what we are rea... 08/26/2019

The first time I brought a friend to visit my Father, the first words out of Dad’s mouth were:“Ask me anything – I know EVERYTHING.” Everyone in the family rolled eyeballs and left the scene, so my friend could receive the full “treatment”. Of course, Dad was right . . . He’s always right! Dad’s not a narcissistic egomaniac . . . In fact, he is a wonderful man with a HUGE heart who happens to know everything of importance to him. I haven’t known my Father for my entire life. He and my Mother divorced when I was @ 4 years old, and he departed for the better part of 20 years . . . This story has potential to get lengthy, so I’ll spare you the intricate details, but my Brother Cam “found” Dad and we all reconnected in the early 1980s. When I first “met” Dad, I felt like I was meeting mysel... 08/22/2019

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