Today I want to talk about the takeaways from the Buffini Mastermind Summit that I found particularly inspiring. The Summit is always great because it’s not just for real estate professionals; it’s for anyone in business looking to continually improve and achieve their own Wildly Important Goals.
This year’s Summit was all about “Putting the Joy Back In Your Journey,” and described actionable ways to make that happen. Joy, as the Summit described, is a sense of well-being, a feeling of great pleasure and good fortune that comes from success. How do we put joy back into our journey? We answer two questions: What steals our joy? What brings us joy? And we also execute on Wildly Important Goals: Eliminate the negative and accentuate the positive.
Let’s dive into what the Buffini Mastermind Summit had to say about these four aspects of joy, along with some of the notes I wrote in the workbook as the ideas were explained:
What steals our joy?
- Complaining (to express dissatisfaction). As Jay Shetty said: “If you don’t sacrifice for what you want, you become the sacrifice.”
- Criticizing (to find fault with something or someone). As Aristotle said: “There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing and be nothing.”
- Being negative (to lack positive or constructive feedback). As Willie Nelson said: “Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.”
- Making excuses (to apologize for yourself). As Benjamin Franklin once said: “ is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.”
- Worrying (to afflict with mental distress or agitation). As Erma Bombeck once said: “Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere.”
I also learned that according to a survey published by The Wall Street Journal, only 12% of respondents indicated that they were happy. Clearly, we need to get rid of those things stealing our joy and discover what can generate happiness in our lives! So …
What brings us joy?
- The sweetness of our relationships.
- A deep sense of purpose.
- Meaningful work.
- Physical and emotional wellness.
- The magic moments.
As Terry Orlick, internationally acclaimed sport psychologist and author of “In Pursuit of Excellence,” said: “The heart of human excellence often begins to beat when you discover a pursuit that absorbs you, frees you, challenges you, or gives you a sense of meaning, joy or passion.” It’s why I say that I love what I do largely because of who I get to do it with. For me, real estate isn’t just a job. It’s a passion. It’s a calling. And that kind of work never feels like work. It always feels like joy.
How can we eliminate the negative?
- Detox: A process or period in which one abstains from or rids the body of toxic or unhealthy substances. We must detox our attitude and our body. Increase our intake of joy, broaden and deepen positive associations and affirm what is true. Detox your attitude.
People do better together. Eliminating the negative is about being intentional, not only with your thoughts and actions but also with the people you find yourself hanging around with every day. Spend time with people who bring you joy. A study by Harvard Medical School and the University of California, San Diego found that “happiness is a collective phenomenon that spreads through social networks like an emotional contagion.”
How can we accentuate the positive?
- Sweeten your relationships. Be grateful, kind (a mixture of patience and care), and intentional. Cultivate a deep sense of purpose by asking: What drives you? What are you willing to sacrifice? Who do you want to help? Make your work meaningful and easy through the right mindset, motivation and methodology that will generate positive results. Tend to your physical and emotional wellness by making self-care a priority, creating daily routines, and taking time for yourself. Live up the magic moments by being present and celebrating success with those you care about most!
So, what’s the message? You don’t have to wait for joy or for magic moments to happen. You can proactively go out, create, and plan them into your business and life. Positivity and joy can be found all around us – in our community, our relationships, and our beliefs. We can make joy something we seek out and discover every day. As Brian Buffini, creator of the Mastermind Summit, would say, don’t wait to find joy in your life. Do it now.
This article is adapted from Blefari’s weekly, company-wide “Thoughts on Leadership” column from HomeServices of America.
