Depending on what you watch, what you read and who you listen to, you can find yourself in a world of confusion, frustration and fear if you don't have the right perspective.

Here a few headlines from the beginning of March:

- At least 8 dead after tornado rips through Nashville and central Tennessee.

- MSNBC host Chris Matthews announces resignation amid series of controversies.

- Amy Klobuchar drops out of presidential race, will endorse Biden.

- Washington Nationals (reigning world series champions) win 5-3 over the Baltimore Orioles.

Think about the eight families devastated and the business interruptions caused by the deadly tornados in Nashville. Have you heard any update on these eight families or the status of any of these businesses?

Have you heard anything about Chris Matthews resigning, Amy Klobuchar dropping out of the presidential race and the Washington Nationals beating Baltimore? These were just a few of the headlines only a month ago. What a totally different perspective as to what was news then and what is news today.

According to Merriam-Webster: "Perspective – A mental view or prospect. The interrelation in which a subject or its parts are mentally viewed."

POINT OF VIEW.
Perspective is also closely related to your MINDSET.

We all have different perspectives around us every day. I have two that I can share. The first is from my 88 year old father, who lives with me. His perspective of the coronavirus is much different than mine. He calls it "the fever" instead of the virus. He is freaked out! He only hears what the TV news tells him, what he reads in the newspaper, and what his 88-year-old friends think they know. All of those are bad sources of information even on a good day. He thinks the world is coming to an end, and rightfully so, based on his perspective. It is up to me to keep him grounded, and his perspective in check with facts.

The other perspective is that of my daughter, who happens to be the coolest 18-year-old on the planet (my perspective). Her perspective on the coronavirus is about her senior year being over, done, history . . . no prom, no graduation and no senior trip.  She also has a valid perspective and rightfully so. It is up to me to keep her grounded and her perspective in check with facts outside of her world!

We each have our own perspective on what is going on in real estate and in the world today. We have a perspective everyday . . . not just in the midst of a pandemic. It is up to us to make sure our perspective on the facts is evaluated and communicated properly. Our clients look to us to provide our perspective on market conditions, especially in uncertain times like we are experiencing today. My perspective or point of view in any market condition involves the facts at the time and the knowledge of historical events -- all of which I do my best to be positive. I am a firm believer in Benjamin Franklin's words that "out of adversity comes opportunity."

As REALTORS® we already know that people have their own perspectives that are mostly unrelated to us. Because real estate involves their family and money, their perspective is sometimes skewed from the facts. They want to know our perspective because we are the real estate professionals, and we have access to the most accurate information. Just like I do with my dad and daughter, it is up to you to keep our clients grounded and their perspective in check with the facts.

Perspective is just one of the 30 Fundamentals Of Life by Peter Clemens, the founder and editor of Possibility Of Change. Below are the remaining 29 fundamentals of life that Peter feels are important. In this time of social distancing, we find ourselves recognizing time in each day that we did not realize we had before. I encourage you to review the site above and the remaining 29 fundamentals of life and find your perspective in each: 

1. What success means to you. 
2. Strong work ethic.
3. Focus on adding value.
4. Abundance mentality. 
5. Motivation.
6. Goals.
7. A curious mind.
8. An open mind.
9. A willingness to change.
10. Defining your values and principles.
11. Awareness.
12. Self-discipline.
13. The ability to enjoy the now.
14. Find your purpose.
15. Gratitude.
16. Quality relationships.
17. Accepting those things that cannot be changed.
18. Financial intelligence.
19. Spend less than you earn.
20. Proper management of debt.
21. Patience.
22. Adequate protection of assets.
23. Recognize the importance of your health. 
24. Exercise.
25. A healthy diet.
26. Threat others as you would like to be treated.
27. Love yourself.
28. Have good manners.
29. Be real.

MINDSET MATTERS.