Turn your problems into features!
That was my mantra when I ran into hitches in the homes I was building.
A concrete stub wall in the way of my stairs? Curve the stairs at the bottom and hide the abutment inside a raised planter alongside the curve. Problem becomes feature.
A 40-amp wire angling out of the bottom of the wall? Put a fake pillar around it, and another one opposite, to frame an opening for a 65-inch TV.
An awkward window the architect made me put on the floor of the stairwell landing (just to make the outside look match the window opposite)? Make a floor-to-ceiling, indented, metallic feature, with the widow constituting only the bottom quarter.
I think that principle applies much more widely in life than just to a few construction issues. There are numerous aspects of life to which we can apply it, to make the outcomes much more favourable. “Making silk purses out of sow’s ears,” as the idiom goes.
I think, too, that the same principle can apply to missed opportunities. Sure, some of those missed opportunities are gone forever. But, in many cases, I think we can cycle back to them and make the most of them, anyway, maybe use the second chance to derive an even better outcome.
Sometimes, instead of just writing off the opportunity as a missed one, we just need to take the time to reflect back on it, so that we can take advantage of it.
Which brings me to the impetus for this blog post.
Belatedly, I noticed that last week’s blog post had the number 100 on it. That means it is the one hundredth blog post in this series!
Now, most people I know in the blogging and/or marketing industry would have used the occasion for self-congratulation. I might have to, had my 60-something brain not been so tardy.
So, I said to myself, this should not be a lost opportunity but a chance to write something more meaningful for my audience, while still noting the occasion.
We all have occasions to turn problems into features, and missed opportunities into better outcomes. We just have to develop the mindset to do so.
At least, that’s how I see it . . .
Rent to Own tip
The current extremely active real estate market in the Fraser Valley is a mixed blessing. It is creating optimism that hasn’t been there for a long time, and encouraging people to get active in real estate. But it is also making buying opportunities tougher, because it is harder to find deals that are good investments. For would-be buyers considering rent 2 own, it means that, although it is a good time to be getting into a rent-to-own program, it will likely take longer to find the right property. Patience may be tested.
Quote of the Week:
If you want to walk fast, walk alone; if you want to walk far, walk with others.
– African proverb
