SixMythUnderstandings Between You and High Achievement

MYTHUNDERSTANDINGS MYTHUNDERSTANDINGS

“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.”

Henry Ford

SIX MYTHUNDERSTANDINGS BETWEEN YOUAND HIGH ACHIEVEMENT

Over the course of my life, I’ve come to believe in the wisdom of Dr. Karl Menninger, who pointed out that in his experience “fears are educated into us, and can, if we wish, be educated out.” The Millionaire Real Estate Agent models we reveal in this book embody basic principles that we believe are fundamental to real estate sales success at a high level. They represent the core activities that must be successfully and consistently done before massive sales achievement can be attained. But before we tackle these concepts, I believe you need to examine some of your core beliefs about success. How real or unreal they truly are, and how they may impact your chances for success. At best, your beliefs can lead to great confidence, and, at worst, they can lead to extreme doubt. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that if allowed to exist, doubts can truly undermine your confidence, your actions, and ultimately your dreams. Mark Twain’s familiar story about cats and hot stoves is a great example of the power of beliefs and fears. Twain famously remarked, “We should be careful to get out of an experience all the wisdom that is in it—

not like the cat that sits on a hot stove lid. She will never sit down on a hot lid again—and that is well; but also she will never sit down on a cold one anymore.” I’ve noticed that, like Twain’s cat, we tend to base our actions on what we believe to be true. Unfortunately, what we believe to be the truth may actually be myth. When beliefs are based on truth, and not myth, our actions have foundation and are more likely to produce satisfying results. However, beliefs grounded in myths tend to lead to unfounded fears and a life of limitations. The history books we all read growing up are filled with examples of myths leading to fears that hold us back. Galileo was imprisoned for daring to prove that the sun (not the Earth) was the center of our solar system. And how long did the belief that the Earth was flat hold back the discovery of the New World? Galileo and Columbus are just two obvious examples of how myths may hold us back and truths can set us free.

This chapter is really about fear. And the source of most of our fears is myth. I find it extremely helpful to think of fears in terms of what generally creates them—myths—and what sets us free from them—truths. It’s about learning to look past your fears to the truth of a situation, investigating the myths, and avoiding the misunderstandings that hold us back. In our work with real estate agents, we’ve identified six common myths that tend to get in the way of success. So in order truly to set a stage for achieving the highest possible potential in your career, we believe you should pause, take a closer look at, and even confront what may be your own MythUnderstandings.