Ladies and Gentlemen, I have suffered and struggled to write this introduction....now it's your turn.
I am, as of this writing, 48. I live in Marietta, Georgia. I work as a software development engineer - I write interfaces between phone switches and our company's software. I hate management; love to actually DO the work, which has limited my opportunity for advancement. As I mentioned to someone the other day, I am also reaching the end of my shelf life in a profession that values youth and cheaper labor. I see the writing on the wall, it ain't pretty. I have been married to the same woman for (as of this month) 21 years. I have two daughters, 17 and 13. I am a late bloomer as far as entrepreneurial aspirations go. Although I have always WANTED to get into real estate, it wasn't until quite recently that I actually got off my a$$ and TOOK ACTION. I have also come to the realization that I cannot do this alone...believe me, this was a tough one to face. I have begun networking like crazy, which is one of the reasons I am here. I can help other people find solutions to their problems, I have problems helping myself advance. There is a Spanish saying - "In the kitchen of the blacksmith, they use wooden spoons"...very appropriate.
Satori is the Zen term for "enlightenment", which is what I constantly seek.
Oh, I am also in the midst of a midlife crisis, but we'll get to that in a little bit.
If you ask friends of mine to describe me in a word, the two words that often come up are creative and resourceful. I tend to find solutions to problems when other people give up (I guess tenacious is another word that best describes me). I am a firm believer that inside every problem is at least one (usually more) solution(s) trying desperately to present itself/themselves, the trick is to be patient (oops!, another descriptive word)...If you have ever seen those small toy tin tanks, the ones with the flywheel inside, that you rev up, point it in a direction and let it go; they are unstoppable and crawl over every obstacle; that's me (oh yeah...love painting pictures with words and love wordplay). Given direction and a clear, specific goal, I am unstoppable. Sometime, if prompted, I will tell you the story of how I bought a quarter acre lot from a dead man, which illustrates all of these traits. It also illustrates that opportunity is all around us if we chose to open ourselves to it (although dumb luck and my inability to read a map properly played a big role as well).
What I bring to the table here is the ability to help people gain a different perspective on any problem they face. I often try to come up with various possible alternative views and solutions. I also excel at research; if I don't know an answer, I can usually find the answer quite quickly (if I didn't love programming so much I would have been a private investigator, or CIA Analyst, two occupations I gave serious consideration). Although I have only posted a few responses, I have tried to make them relevant, and useful. I am very effective at brainstorming solutions, and I strive to be an effective communicator which I think goes hand in hand.
As I mentioned earlier, I am pretty sure I am going through a midlife crisis. While I have not had the urge to cash in my 401K and run off to Bali with some hot busty co-ed, for me it has manifested itself in some unusual ways. I have started running (did I mention, I was a geeky, over weight, couch potato?), I have lost close to 40 lbs (I started in April), and last Monday, Labor Day, I ran my first 10K. I read Tim Ferriss' "The Four Hour Work Week" and it quite literally turned my life around. Yes, it is shamelessly self-promotional, but there are some meaty concepts that transcend that crap. I seek to be wealthy, not for the things I can buy...I am quite happy with my Camry, and I like my house (although my wife has been getting after me to look for another). I seek to be wealthy for the sole purpose of the luxury of time it affords - time to write, time to enjoy my wife and kids more, time to travel.
The two subjects that interest me here are Internet Businesses, and Real Estate. Along with the lot (which is held in a single member LLC), I own a house I got in a short sale (I am wired to help people and in this case it was a young couple in over their heads). As a result of that, though, I have a $110K balloon due in December, and have yet to find a tenant so I can refinance. It is a little stressful, but I am on really good terms with the bank and I ALWAYS have options. I own several domains, one for my real estate stuff, one for my blog (which, when I get a higher rating, I will include the link in my signature), and a bunch of others I have yet to monetize (for instance, I own the domain "ToolsForCreativeMinds.com"...figures right?).
The two subjects I will never EVER discuss are religion and politics (sports too for the most part, but that, to some people IS religion), and it is not because I lack passion for either. The reason being is that, as I mentioned earlier, I strive to be an effective communicator, but how effective can you be if you alienate a percentage of your audience? And I have found that the minute you mention your affiliation to one or the other, that is exactly what happens. I don't pigeon hole people, I don't like to be pigeon holed. End of sermon.
So that's about it. If you have stuck with this this far I apologize for the visual sandpaper that is this entry, but at least you have a fair idea of who I am. I am also willing to answer any questions you may have about me, and my experiences.
ZenSatori
I am, as of this writing, 48. I live in Marietta, Georgia. I work as a software development engineer - I write interfaces between phone switches and our company's software. I hate management; love to actually DO the work, which has limited my opportunity for advancement. As I mentioned to someone the other day, I am also reaching the end of my shelf life in a profession that values youth and cheaper labor. I see the writing on the wall, it ain't pretty. I have been married to the same woman for (as of this month) 21 years. I have two daughters, 17 and 13. I am a late bloomer as far as entrepreneurial aspirations go. Although I have always WANTED to get into real estate, it wasn't until quite recently that I actually got off my a$$ and TOOK ACTION. I have also come to the realization that I cannot do this alone...believe me, this was a tough one to face. I have begun networking like crazy, which is one of the reasons I am here. I can help other people find solutions to their problems, I have problems helping myself advance. There is a Spanish saying - "In the kitchen of the blacksmith, they use wooden spoons"...very appropriate.
Satori is the Zen term for "enlightenment", which is what I constantly seek.
Oh, I am also in the midst of a midlife crisis, but we'll get to that in a little bit.
If you ask friends of mine to describe me in a word, the two words that often come up are creative and resourceful. I tend to find solutions to problems when other people give up (I guess tenacious is another word that best describes me). I am a firm believer that inside every problem is at least one (usually more) solution(s) trying desperately to present itself/themselves, the trick is to be patient (oops!, another descriptive word)...If you have ever seen those small toy tin tanks, the ones with the flywheel inside, that you rev up, point it in a direction and let it go; they are unstoppable and crawl over every obstacle; that's me (oh yeah...love painting pictures with words and love wordplay). Given direction and a clear, specific goal, I am unstoppable. Sometime, if prompted, I will tell you the story of how I bought a quarter acre lot from a dead man, which illustrates all of these traits. It also illustrates that opportunity is all around us if we chose to open ourselves to it (although dumb luck and my inability to read a map properly played a big role as well).
What I bring to the table here is the ability to help people gain a different perspective on any problem they face. I often try to come up with various possible alternative views and solutions. I also excel at research; if I don't know an answer, I can usually find the answer quite quickly (if I didn't love programming so much I would have been a private investigator, or CIA Analyst, two occupations I gave serious consideration). Although I have only posted a few responses, I have tried to make them relevant, and useful. I am very effective at brainstorming solutions, and I strive to be an effective communicator which I think goes hand in hand.
As I mentioned earlier, I am pretty sure I am going through a midlife crisis. While I have not had the urge to cash in my 401K and run off to Bali with some hot busty co-ed, for me it has manifested itself in some unusual ways. I have started running (did I mention, I was a geeky, over weight, couch potato?), I have lost close to 40 lbs (I started in April), and last Monday, Labor Day, I ran my first 10K. I read Tim Ferriss' "The Four Hour Work Week" and it quite literally turned my life around. Yes, it is shamelessly self-promotional, but there are some meaty concepts that transcend that crap. I seek to be wealthy, not for the things I can buy...I am quite happy with my Camry, and I like my house (although my wife has been getting after me to look for another). I seek to be wealthy for the sole purpose of the luxury of time it affords - time to write, time to enjoy my wife and kids more, time to travel.
The two subjects that interest me here are Internet Businesses, and Real Estate. Along with the lot (which is held in a single member LLC), I own a house I got in a short sale (I am wired to help people and in this case it was a young couple in over their heads). As a result of that, though, I have a $110K balloon due in December, and have yet to find a tenant so I can refinance. It is a little stressful, but I am on really good terms with the bank and I ALWAYS have options. I own several domains, one for my real estate stuff, one for my blog (which, when I get a higher rating, I will include the link in my signature), and a bunch of others I have yet to monetize (for instance, I own the domain "ToolsForCreativeMinds.com"...figures right?).
The two subjects I will never EVER discuss are religion and politics (sports too for the most part, but that, to some people IS religion), and it is not because I lack passion for either. The reason being is that, as I mentioned earlier, I strive to be an effective communicator, but how effective can you be if you alienate a percentage of your audience? And I have found that the minute you mention your affiliation to one or the other, that is exactly what happens. I don't pigeon hole people, I don't like to be pigeon holed. End of sermon.
So that's about it. If you have stuck with this this far I apologize for the visual sandpaper that is this entry, but at least you have a fair idea of who I am. I am also willing to answer any questions you may have about me, and my experiences.
ZenSatori
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