Reflections of Beginnings, Did You Knows, Declutter Your Email Tips, Another Great Tip to Copy/Paste for Your Clients, Jump Start Your 2009!

My friend and mentor Todd Duncan spoke at the conference I was in last week and gave one of the most inspirational speeches I've ever heard. His wife is battling stage 4 cancer and is not doing well at all. She insisted that he stay the course and be at the conference (which he hosted) and practice what he teaches to his students, which is to "Finish Strong." Todd shared the following poem with the group and I would highly recommend that you take “down-time” for a moment and reflect on it. In our continuation of The Law of The Harvest, this is a great one to keep in front of you. As we have said before, we always want to be your information source, but we also love to reap our harvest and appreciate you having us be your mortgage lender of choice. Our team is knowledgeable, experienced and all have their underwriting certifications so there are no surprises at the end- let us know when we can be of assistance to you and your buyer. We can be reached at 972-278-3400, email at ldavidson@servicefirstmtg.com or our website at www.davidsongroup.net Linda "Beginnings" Endings are the seeds to beginnings Tomorrow will come in time Even in hopelessness lies a seed of hope And even a small seed can climb But the little seed has to give up its past On its voyage to the sprouting tree Didn’t you ever transcend your life, Previous visions of who you could be? Every cloud opens up to the smiling sun, And the low will soon reach high tide, Exits and entrances are at the same gate Moving through is your ticket to pride And two triangles have to surrender themselves To ever become a square And every simple discovery in life Makes you give up something you thought was there Caterpillars will butterfly off the ground Give up your past to be king. Horses run best when not looking back Let go to reach higher things. You have to give up your discomforts to ever soar in flight But isn't the end of something that's wrong The beginning of something that's right? So, you stand at the spot where endings begin, Handcuffed by the past or freed. One path will take you to where you've been, The other will set you free. So pick yourself up like the rising sun, like the wind lifting the silent sea. Plant a hope in your heart like a seedling in spring And step forward to your new destiny." Anonymous Jump Start Your 2009 I will be joining North American Title on Friday, December 5th in a presentation of “Top 5 Innovative Ways to Jump Start Your 2009”. This will be a fun, fast and informative talk on how to make 2009 start strong and I am so excited to present this- I have lots of fun surprises and cant wait to share! Note that all address below are for North American Title (NAT) Where Address Time Food Served NAT Mesquite 2424 Gus Thomasson Rd, Mesquite, TX (972) 270-2488 12/5- 9 AM- 11 AM Breakfast NAT Garland 5435 N Garland Ave, Garland, TX (214) 703-9607 12/5- 12 Noon- 2 PM Lunch NAT Rockwall 3007 Ridge Rd, Rockwall, TX (972) 771-0667 12/5- 3 PM- 5 PM Wine & Cheese LEARN The Top 5 Innovative Ways to Jump Start Your 2009, EAT lots of food, NETWORK and WIN door prizes and give aways. Come to one or come to all…..We just would love to see you there! With the auto industry looking for a hand-out, I thought you would find these numbers very interesting. Did you know….. • One out of every 10 U.S. jobs is auto-related, supporting approximately 5 million jobs across all 50 states. • Dealerships employ 740,000 people with a total payroll of $35 billion a year. • The auto industry purchases $156 billion in raw materials annually and is the largest purchaser of U.S. steel, aluminum, iron, copper, plastics, rubber and electronic and computer chips. • Autos account for $690 billion, or about 20 percent of all U.S. retail sales. • Four percent of U.S. gross domestic product is auto-related and represents 10 percent of U.S. industrial production by value. • Auto sales generate more than $10 billion dollars of annual tax revenue • The domestic auto industry has invested nearly a quarter of a trillion dollars in the United States, including $10 billion alone last year. • U.S.-based carmakers have 105 plants in 20 states, including California, Texas, Kansas, Louisiana and Maryland. • The auto companies provide pensions for 775,000 and health care benefits for 2 million. The following was written by a friend of mine who writes periodically for a number of industry magazines. I thought you would love the time saving tips! In Brief: Declutter Your E-mail By Jason W. Womack and Jodi Womack Your e-mail inbox most likely contains a collection of old and new messages of varying priorities. You may even go back and mark old e-mails “unread” or add “!” to make them urgent. The following tips will radically cut down on inbox clutter. Change the subject lines of the e-mails you receive to the action you need to take with them. To ensure you’ve chosen your very next action, use a verb to start off the new subject line. Think of the actual activity you need to do. Also, ask yourself what other relevant data you need: who, what, and by when? You can make subject line changes in Microsoft Outlook and Lotus Notes by editing the message (ALT+E in Outlook, CTRL+E in Lotus Notes), and then typing the new action steps into the subject line. If you need to, you can type in front of the original subject to keep the "search-ability" of the message. The following is a list of sample subject lines that demonstrate how to transform your e-mail inbox from a random list to an actionable To Do List: Before changing the subject line: Re: budget meeting Wilson project Seminar Newsletter After changing the subject line: Draft agenda by 11/21/08 re: budget meeting. Fax Kira (415) 236-6045 signed contract: Wilson project Call Jason (805) 640-6401 to schedule Q1 ‘09 Seminar E-mail Sales team revised edits to Newsletter by 11/14/08 Which list will help you follow through with more e-mails? When you edit the subject line you will spend much less time opening, reviewing and closing e-mails later. Warning: Watch out for verbs that are too vague to be real action tasks such as: “Make time to…,” “Set a meeting with…,” and “Follow up with…” If you get stuck with these seemingly next steps, ask yourself, “How exactly do I make time/set a meeting/follow up?” Do you need to meet with someone in person? Can you make a phone call to get the info you need? Or can you quickly create an e-mail to request the information? The key is to pick one and type that action into the subject line. When you use this technique, as you create new e-mails to your coworkers and clients, you’ll be amazed at how much faster they reply! As you look through your inbox, you are now able to tell “at-a-glance” the steps you need to take instead of opening and rereading the same messages over and over again. By appropriately identifying the action that each e-mail requires, you can purge, sort and organize much of your inbox, cleaning the clutter and making it easier to get work done. *** JASON W. WOMACK, MEd, MA and JODI WOMACK, MA founded a professional development company that enhances organizational performance through customized training and individual coaching. Another Great Article to Copy and Paste for Your Newsletters and/or to Send to your Farming Area or Clients Tips for Finding a Job in Tough Markets Finding a job during tough economic times doesn't have to be tough...if you know which strategies work. Here are some tips for beating the odds: Take Networking to the Next Level: Networking is always a great job strategy, but in the current economic climate, you need to go a step beyond letting your contacts know you are looking for a job, since many other people may be doing the same thing. Instead, develop a compelling business idea for your field or the field you would like to enter. Then, when you call or email your contacts, let them know you are researching your idea and would like to meet with industry insiders to discuss its viability. With this strategy, people will see you as someone with something to offer them, rather than as someone who needs something. And if the people you meet with like your idea, your meetings could lead to a job offer even though you never asked for a job. Focus on Sectors That Are Hiring: No matter what industry your background is in, the skills or experience you possess may qualify you for a position in a new field. For instance, sales and customer relations are skills needed in a variety of industries. To begin, make a list of your experiences and skills that could help you find a job in a sector that is currently hiring. Then, gear your resume and cover letter to focus on these particular skills and experiences. Aim for Your Dream Job: Many job seekers begin to panic and apply for any job that's available. This is a mistake for several reasons. First, passion and enthusiasm are your best weapons for succeeding in your job search. Employers can tell the difference between someone who really wants to work for them...and someone who will take any job. Second, when you are focused on finding a specific job versus any job, you make it easier for friends and colleagues to help you because they will have a clearer idea of who they could contact for you. Third, if you're in the middle of a job transition, why not use the opportunity to enter the profession you have always wanted to try? Be Creative About How You Start: During tough markets, many businesses are hesitant to add new employees and increase their level of fixed costs. You can offer to begin as an independent contractor for a period of time before receiving a review and possibly a future permanent job. This would give you a chance to earn an income while demonstrating your skills and value to the company. In turn, it lets the company evaluate your performance in a less costly way, because you would not receive benefits during this time; and with less risk for the company than having to make the decision to hire a permanent employee. You could also volunteer your way to a paid job. Many nonprofit organizations have powerful executives on their boards. By demonstrating your skills and work ethic as a volunteer, you could meet important connections that could lead to your next position. The bottom line is this: Losing a job is tough during any market, but finding a job doesn't have to be tough when you are willing to be creative and use strategies that work! Have a blessed weekend. Remember that we are open on Saturday from 12:00-5:00 PM and are also available on weekends for prequals- just call our office at 972-278-3400. Linda