Christopher Mott

2023 started differently than any other. It was the after-math of navigating my way through a pandemic. I suppose I didn’t truly grasp how much the last two years’ events could affect me. Perhaps I was naive and believed that I might be impervious to the changing energies of the universe. Maybe I was blinded to how much change, heartache, and suffering there was and how that might affect my psyche. After all, the entire planet had changed.

Anyone in sales will tell you that knowing your customer is essential. Back in the early 90’s, I was new to the apartment management industry. I thought I knew it all. News flash! With age comes wisdom; in the absence of age and wisdom, all that remains is youth and enthusiasm. If we could discover a way to merge all of those characteristics, it would be a force.

After those words were uttered, “Perhaps you could talk about what Gen Z wants?” I went into three months of intense study. Allow me to introduce you to Chris Mott. I am not a detail guy. I am a relationship guy. The other day, someone asked what kind of Jeep I owned. I replied with, “It’s black.” I said, “And my fishing pole is green, my raft is blue, my skis are yellow, and my wife is occasionally blonde.”

• 3.1. Generational Truth #1 — Every generation believes the next generation is totally out of control.
• 3.2. Generational Truth #2 — Every generation encounters tragedy and struggle.
• 3.3. Generational Truth #3 — Our current struggle is made of the same detrimental disease.

As I travel around the country speaking, my regular audience is the Real Estate Industry. Why? Because my roots are there. Frankly, I can talk to anyone. If their hearts are beating, they are my audience. We have discovered that we are all the same while simply trying to live out our purpose amid universal struggles. Teaching this concept to the Real Estate Industry feels very relevant and on point. Why? Because those who assist others when it comes to creating a sense of home are also the ones who hold the keys to the cure for loneliness.

Hurry, hurry, hurry.” “Keep on pushing.” “We need to keep pace with the competition.” “We need to be on the cutting edge.” These are all sayings that tax us beyond measure. I don’t care what industry it is. This happens often. It seems as though the yearly mission is to shove as many new initiatives down the throats of our front-line team members. I get it; there is value in keeping up, maintaining your edge, and staying ahead of the competition. The problem is we are anything but balanced in our approach.

• — Ingredient #1 —

Think about that statement. “I know my story.” It sounds pretty definitive. If it sounds rock solid, that’s intentional. Why? Because I am a Life Coach. Every day, I teach others to write powerful stories for themselves. I teach them to declare their intentions in the here and now. While coaching others, I often find individuals writing with a weak frequency. Clients tend to push their desired goals and accomplishments down the road. They write statements such as “I will know my story.” Notice how different that sounds from “I know my story.”

• — Ingredient #2 —

Have you ever noticed what people do when they’re accepting an award? They always thank the people who helped them get there. They ooze with gratitude for others and want to celebrate those who championed their story. Rita Pierson is a lifelong educator. She delivered a super popular Ted Talk. It’s a must-watch if you get the chance. I always say that my two favorite types of people are teachers and nurses. Why? Because in my mind, they are the ultimate caregivers.

• — Ingredient #3 —

Do you know which people in the workplace are the loneliest? Haven’t you ever heard that expression? “It’s lonely at the top.” Well, it’s true. A Harvard study indicates that over half of CEOs feel lonely. It reports that sixty-one percent say it impedes their work performance. News flash! Of course, it does, as loneliness is an all-out attack on your mind, body, and soul. We have already mentioned all the adverse health effects linked to loneliness. This is a perfect recipe for giving less. Why? Because if you desire to provide more, you must possess more first.

• — Ingredient #4 —

Do you know how often clients proclaim that they are positive in coaching? It happens all the time. And then, I give them a writing assignment, and not a single positive word hits the paper. Yes, we often live in a delusional world regarding our perception of ourselves. We often think our poop doesn’t stink, but oh, does it reek! Wake up and smell the coffee, folks. By nature or due to behavioral conditioning, we are very negative creatures.

• — Ingredient #5 —

Have you ever woke up in a perfect mood, and then the day took a negative turn? It seemed like everywhere you turned, life was trying to knock you off your lofty position of positivity. If so, you are not alone. This happens all the time. This is where we should clarify the similarities or differences in our belief set. In my world, this occurrence, when life is trying to knock you down a peg, is known as spiritual warfare. I believe in God and Satan and that Satan is constantly attacking through people and circumstances to rock us from our Godly perch. Perhaps you don’t believe what I believe. Contrary to popular belief, that is perfectly ok.

• — Ingredient #7 —

Are you one of those who warmly asks someone how they are but do not want to hear the answer? “Nope, can’t stop right now. Tell me later.” That’s not cordial. That’s superficial. Or perhaps you rush through the grocery store to arrive at the checkout lines and get stopped. You immediately size up each line. You start to calculate logarithms in your head. You add up the amount of items in each cart. You times that number by the carts in front of you and then divide that number by the age of the Checker. If you are laughing hysterically right now, it’s because it’s you. This is so you! You are that person! And it doesn’t stop there.

• — Ingredient #8 —

One of the most valuable books I’ve ever read about building solid relationships is The Five Love Languages. The author is Gary Chapman, and it will take you 5 to 10 minutes to go online and take the test to obtain your primary two love languages. Or are you just too busy? Perhaps you are too busy to be bothered by love and relationships. Are you noticing a consistent theme yet? Yes, it’s all weaving itself together. I won’t be getting into all the five love languages in this book, but I recommend that you study them all. You will find that all of them are essential when connecting with others.

• — Ingredient #9 —

Have you ever lashed out at someone only to find out later that the person was going through hard times? We all have, and when we do, we feel like absolute schmucks. So, the story’s moral is that we need to be better at being patient in three key areas: one with ourselves, two with situations, and lastly, with others. Have you ever heard of being emotionally mature? How about being spiritually mature? If you haven’t, let’s give you a quick lesson on each. Emotional maturity is all about not boomeranging the energy of another back at them.

• — Ingredient #10 —

What exactly is gratitude? If you believe in the law of attraction as I do, it’s simply a frequency of abundance. Have you ever heard the saying, “If you give, you too shall receive?” If so, it’s the essence of the law of attraction. Simply put, it’s a philosophy that entails a boomerang of your energy. What you lead with is sure to follow. You are the magnet, and nothing, I mean nothing, is attracted to you by happenstance. In a nutshell, leading with a frequency of gratitude is a surefire way to manifest even greater abundance.

• — Ingredient #11 —

You have two choices. Find joy or swim around in something less. Sounds like a no-brainer decision. More or less, you choose. Why choose more? There are so many reasons. Nobody likes to be around an Eeyore. Do you remember that donkey in Winnie the Pooh? He was always walking around proclaiming that the sky was falling. He was hard to watch as his pessimism and doom and gloom seemed to be contagious. It was sure to bring you down. This holds true for people in life. Nobody wants to hang with those who tow the cloud around. Life is hard enough as it is. Very rarely do you see people flocking to those who celebrate a problem. Instead, they usually run in the opposite direction.

• — Ingredient #12 —

My Mom passed long ago from pancreatic cancer, and my father crossed over from natural causes shortly before the pandemic. Notice I didn’t say, “I lost my parents.” This is one of my least favorite phrases. Why? Because if you understand the nature of life and the aging process, if you subscribe to the notion that you “lose” people, you are destined to become a bigger and bigger loser as you travel down life’s highway. My use of the word “pass” was intentional because I believe that when our loved ones pass, they take a higher seat in the bleachers of the universe. Yes, they are promoted to guardian angel status. My narrative consists of one where I can chat with my Dad and Mom anytime.

The owner of Sherpa Real Estate recently held an off-site meeting to give us perspective on the year we just traveled and set our perspective for the year to come. He conducted a super powerful exercise with us at the end of this mini-retreat. He started by stating that the average lifespan of an American these days is 77.28 years. He said that if you had someone in your family who lived longer than this age, you could add 3.5 years.

Ever watch football? If so, you know the term “the head fake.” For those who don’t watch football, it’s simply a term for when the Quarterback fakes out the defensive players by looking in one direction with his eyes but then throws the ball in a different direction. This entire time, I have been engaging in one big head fake. I really couldn’t give a rat’s behind about who you are professionally. Yes, there’s value in the workplace, as we spend much of our lives at our jobs. But what I am really after is your soul and spirit.