10 Best Blog Posts Vol 1 eBook

8/6/2019 10 Best Blog Posts Vol 1 eBook

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Courtesy of Sugar Pine RealtyCourtesy of Sugar Pine RealtyCourtesy of Sugar Pine RealtyCourtesy of Sugar Pine Realty

(Sonora, California)(Sonora, California)(Sonora, California)(Sonora, California)


2/13

10 Best Blog Posts (Vol 1)

10 Best Blog

Posts (Volume 1)

by the Sugar Pine Realty blogger(@blogboy2)1
http://www.twitter.com/blogboy2http://www.twitter.com/blogboy2


3/13

10 Best Blog Posts (Vol 1)TABLE OF CONTENTSTen Commandments of Blogging 3I Have a Confession to Make... 421 Joy Enhancers (holiday season) 5You Matter 6Defining Moments 7SWAT Operation (and the stupid I did) 8The Story of the Old Mule 9Things That Make Me Mad 10Won't Get Fooled Again 11The Power of Appreciation 12

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4/13

10 Best Blog Posts (Vol 1)Ten Commandments ofBlogging

On the mountain long ago Moses received God's law. I haven't beenup to a mountain or anything, but I thought I'd use this pattern tomake some points about blogging (and micro-blogging, too, if you'rein to social media like Twitter). So here you go with the TenCommandments of blogging...

1. Thou shalt offer fresh and personal content and perspective with

thy blog that you and only you can produce.

2. Thou shalt carve with lexis that common folk can twig (translation: You will write usingwords that real people can understand).

3. Thou shalt not tear someone else down with thy blog. If you have an issue with thatperson, go to them to work it out.

4. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor with thy blog.

5. Thou shalt not pluck quotes from thy neighbor's blog without giving him credit.

6. Thou shalt not steal content from thy neighbor's blog and portray it as thine own.

7. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's blog, but will be happy with thine own.

8. Thou shalt not spend more time blogging, reading blogs and/or commenting on blogs (letalone with any other type of social media) than with thy wife, kids and pet.

9. Thou shalt take time for rest and relaxation from blogging at consistent intervals. Gooutside and smell the roses.

10. Thou shalt not make an idol out of blogging. Thy life consists of much more than that.

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http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus%2020:2-17;&version=49;http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus%2020:2-17;&version=49;http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus%2020:2-17;&version=49;http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus%2020:2-17;&version=49;


5/13

10 Best Blog Posts (Vol 1)I Have a Confessionto Make...

I have a confession to make. My friend had a heart attack the

other night. And please read to the end of this post before youget mad or yell at me (or quit subscribing to this blog), but I

put off taking him to the hospital until today (2 days later).Ouch.

I know, I know. I should have taken him immediately. I know, Iknow. It was really selfish of me to think of my convenienceonly and not of his situation (dire as it was). But I needed to

get a good night's sleep after all. I had to go to work the nextday (after the heart attack). And the doctor wouldn't be

available for 36 hours any way. (I called.) What was I to do?

And so my friend had to wait. He had to! And there draped with a towel over him. (Nokidding. I put one on. Now there's a picture.)

And it really doesn't matter if he lives or dies. (You're about ready to throw stones at me?)Really it doesn't. (Pretty please just give me a few more lines before you judge me, "Guilty.")

You see, because it's not what you think. Cuz my friend that had the heart attack the othernight? He's (it's) my laptop computer. And the reason why I've been so nonchalant about

getting him to the (tech) hospital? I have Carbonite online backup. All my data is safe. Yes!(fist thrust in the air)

(So when was the last time you backed up your stuff at least to the "cloud"?)

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http://www.carbonite.com/en/default.aspxhttp://www.carbonite.com/en/default.aspx


6/13

10 Best Blog Posts (Vol 1)21 Joy Enhancers(holiday season post)

It's a fact. The holiday season comes. And while many are gleeful andglad, still others are grouchy and glum. It's not that these don't want tobe happy. It's not they don't want to have fun (and frolic). It's just thatmoney's tight (for some) or they've lost their job (for others) or, yousee, that loved one passed away earlier this year (for still others) andto be cheerful and bright right now? Well, it's just not gonna happen,quite frankly. And it could be just about anything that's got any one ofus in a "Bah, humbug" mood. (Can you relate?)

I want to try to help "restore the joy" (should you find yourself in need of help). That's whatthis post is all about. I've lumped together (below) what I call "JOY enhancers" using theacronym "J-O-Y." I mean, you just can't do this sort of stuff in the list and still be in despair.It's just not possible (at least in my mind). And so in the interests of restoring/enhancing"JOY", here we go with...

21 "Joy" Enhancers (When You Need To Get Your Joy Back):

1. J-UMP, skip and hop like you used to do as a kid.

2. J-OIN with others to sing Christmas carols.

3. J-OG ~ or whatever exercise suits you (gets the blood flowing).

4. J-OURNAL a list of happy moments in your life.

5. J-OKE around with a good friend.

6. J-ETISEN the hurts of the past, forgiving those who hurt you.

7. J-OURNEY to a celebration of Christmas at a church in your area.

8. O-PEN the curtains of your home to let the sun shine in.

9. O-FFER to help with the needs of another.

10. O-MIT negative thinking from your mind.

11. O-RCHESTRATE a dinner and invite your neighbors.

12. O-PINE (to yourself) about all the things you're thankful for.

13. O-CCUPY a lower place (by choice) in a situation and give someone else the higher place.

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7/13

10 Best Blog Posts (Vol 1)

14. O-RDAIN in your heart that you're gonna make this the best Christmas ever.

15. Y-EARN for the good ol' days (but make today a good ol' day!).

16. Y-IELD to seeing the good in others. (It's really there if you look close enough.)17. Y-ANK out (in a gentle way) old pictures of family and friends to look at.

18. Y-ACK on the phone with a sibling that you haven't talked to (yacked with) in a long time.

19. Y-AWN because you stayed up late watching "It's A Wonderful Life" starring JimmyStewart.

20. Y-ELL, Hallelujah! (Rejoicing has a way of bringing back the joy.)

21. "Y-OU'RE a mean one, Mr Grinch" ~ If he can get better so can you. Believe it.

You Matter(If all you read and let sink in is the title, then this post has doneit's job.)

You have something to offer. (Yeah, I'm talking to you.) You haveideas. You have insights. You have a point of view. You have a

background that lends perspective (that no one else has). Youhave experience that can be brought to the table (valuable

experience). You are intelligent. (You have a brain.) You have a sense of humor. (Dry or allwet?) You aren't perfect. (No one is.) You stumble sometimes. (Everybody does.) But you get

back up, right? (Get up.) Don't minimize yourself. Don't sit on the sidelines. Don't throw inthe towel. Don't compare yourself. Don't let anyone walk all over you. Don't let anyonedismiss you. What do they know anyway? (Now go read the title again.)

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8/13

10 Best Blog Posts (Vol 1)Defining MomentsDo you know what a "defining moment" is? Sure youdo. According to Webster's, it's both "an occurrencethat typifies or determines all related events thatfollow" and "a point at which the essential nature orcharacter of a person, group, etc., is revealed oridentified."

Of course, there are many examples of defining

moments in the last few decades alone.

When Reggie Jackson hit three home runs in three plate appearances (each on the first pitch)in the World Series, that was a defining moment.

When Ronald Reagan said, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" and two years later theBerlin Wall came tumbling down, that was a defining moment.

When Samwise Gamgee reached out with his hand to grasp Frodo's as he was dangling thereabove Mount Doom's river of fire, that was a defining moment. (I know it was just a movie,but I really liked that part.)

So what about your own life? Have you had any defining moments? Sure you have. They maynot be the size of the ones already mentioned, but they're defining moments nonetheless.

Rather than reflect upon defining moments of the past (not that I don't think you should)what I really wanted to do is suggest that you may have some defining moments still yetahead. It might be in your career. It might be in your family. It might be on the communitystage. None of us can really know. But what we can know is the way we respond to the real-time, day to day, mundane and boring moments of life will be the same way we respond toour "defining moment" when it arrives.

So swing for the fence NOW, tear down the wall NOW, reach out your hand NOW. It justmight be that your "defining moment" happens sooner than you think.

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http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/defining+momenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggie_Jacksonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ReaganBerlinWall.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_wallhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samwise_Gamgeehttp://dictionary.reference.com/browse/defining+momenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggie_Jacksonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ReaganBerlinWall.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_wallhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samwise_Gamgee


9/13

10 Best Blog Posts (Vol 1)SWAT Operation (and thestupid thing I did)

It was my day off. That's when it happened. My kids said, "Dad,

there's a whole bunch of police cars in our front yard." I said,"What?" Sure enough, there was a SWAT team right outside ourwindow in the street ~ about 8 or more of them all in formation, allducked behind a shield. They were headed to the house two doorsdown.

That's when the second thing happened. Boooooooooom! An explosion. It shook our house.

Initially, we thought they'd shot the dog. (There was a pretty fierce pit bull in the home they

were entering.) We found out later that it was "only" a grenade to disarm those inside.

I told my kids, "Get away from the window. Do you think this is a game?" That's when I wentoutside to take pictures. (Yep. I did.)

I would come in soon (my heart racing) especially after I saw three of the SWAT officersentering the backyard and heard another explosion. It really was dangerous.

My kids would gather around me later and say, "Dad, you told us toget away from the window, then YOU WENT OUTSIDE!"

And I guess the moral of this story is: Sometimes we tell others to be

careful and then we go right out and do something stupid / putourselves in the line of fire. Maybe it's time we (I) took our (my) own

advice?

(The story ended with 6 arrests and 25 lbs. of marijuana seized. Read more about it: HERE.)

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http://www.uniondemocrat.com/20101111101759/News/Local-News/Six-arrested-on-Valley-Oakhttp://www.uniondemocrat.com/20101111101759/News/Local-News/Six-arrested-on-Valley-Oak


10/13

10 Best Blog Posts (Vol 1)The Story of the Old MuleThe next time you feel down, like everything's against you and noteven a prayer will save you, remember the story of the Old Mule. Hetripped one day and fell into a well. He brayed and brayed andbrayed for help, but to no avail.

His owner (the farmer) couldn't help him.

The townsfolk couldn't help him.

It was hopeless.

So they decided to bury the mule in the well. They gathered and began to throw dirt on top

of the mule.

With dirt now hitting his head the mule thought: "I know. I'll just shake off the dirt and stepup." And so he did.

The dirt would hit. He'd shake it off and step up.

The dirt would hit again. He'd shake it off and step up again.

He fought through panic. He shook it off and stepped up. He fought through hopelessness. Heshook it off and stepped up. He fought through his life hanging by a thread. He shook it offand stepped up.

And he got out of that well. (Do you see that?)

The mule got out.

And you'll get out of your challenging circumstance the same way.

(Thanks to storiesfortrainers.com for this story.)

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http://storiesfortrainers.com/theoldmule.aspxhttp://storiesfortrainers.com/theoldmule.aspx


11/13

10 Best Blog Posts (Vol 1)Things That Make Me MadYou've been mad before. Sure you have. Are you mad now? (I hopenot at me.)

It's interesting the whole subject of being mad or going from not

being mad to being mad and what causes "madness" (not insanity) toovertake us.

When I stub my toe, I get mad. I say, "Who left that stupid book on the floor?" When the guydriving in front of me is going too slow, I get mad. I say, "Doesn't he know the speed limit?"When my favorite baseball player drops the ball, I get mad. I say, "Fire the manager." :P

And then there are other things that make me mad.

When people lie. When people take advantage. When people don't follow through like they

promised. When people ridicule. When people judge without all the information. Come tothink of it, there are just a whole lot of things that make (and can make) me mad. (It'smaking me mad just thinking about it.)

And I guess the point is that I need to be mad at the right things and forgive, forgive,forgive.

I'm cooling off already.

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12/13

10 Best Blog Posts (Vol 1)Won't Get Fooled Again"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

Have you ever been duped?

I bought a used car and ~ no lie ~ at the very point I left the parkinglot it started spitting and sputtering and coughing and belching. (Sowhy didn't it do that during the test drive? Funny how that works.)

So "how do we protect ourselves from being hoodwinked again when it's happened to us inthe past?" is really where I'm going with this.

Whether it's a used car salesman, politician or somebody else, if we "won't get fooled again,"

we're going to have to say "no" to how we got fooled before.

The following is a list of themes common to folks who have the proverbial "wool pulled overtheir eyes."

See if you agree with (and then be careful to avoid)...

7 ways people get fooled:

1. They become "star struck."

2. They have their mind set and no one can change it.

3. They overlook/dismiss the danger signs.

4. They have a personal need that must/will be met.

5. They turn a deaf ear to counsel.

6. They drink the "kool aid."

7. They live a lie already. (Destructive habit pattern)

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13/13

10 Best Blog Posts (Vol 1)The Power of AppreciationThe dictionary defines "appreciation" in a couple of ways. (Tosee Webster's definition: click here.) Of course, in the realestate business, "appreciation" has to do with a home or

property gaining in value over a period of time. But that'snot the kind of appreciation this post is about. Instead, it's

the appreciation that human beings can offer one another

that I want to talk about.

And this type of appreciation can and does at times go beyond words and can be

conveyed without the use of words at all. But it's verbal appreciation (aside from

this) that carries a whole lot of power (in my mind).

When was the last time you heard somebody say, "I appreciate you," "I

appreciate your work ethic," "I appreciate having you around," "I appreciate yourfriendship"? How did it make you feel?

If it was somebody in your life that's earned the right to be heard, I'll bet you feltlike a million dollars. I'll bet you were pumped up. Right?

It's the power of appreciation. It reinforces value in and adds value to those

around you (your family, your neighbors, your team at work, even a completestranger?!, etc.).

Who can you add value to today? Who can you "appreciate"?

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http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appreciationhttp://www.facebook.com/realestatesonorahttp://www.twitter.com/blogboy2http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appreciation

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