Skip to main content

Zone Out to Home In

On the heels of my recent music-inspired blog entry, someone in our office emailed me the following line from the song "Stressed Out" by Twenty One Pilots:  Out of student loans and tree-house homes we all would take the latter.  While there's no arguing that a home loan is preferable over a student loan, it made me think of another line from the same song: Used to dream of outer space, but now they’re laughing at our face saying, “Wake up, you need to make money.”  In other words, no amount of dreaming or wishing things were different is going to change the realities of life.  Wow, that just sounded really depressing - sorry!  Allow me to try and turn that frown upside down (and THAT sounded REALLY cheesy - sorry). 

 A recent study conducted by a psychologist at University of North Carolina Greensboro found that daydreamers showed better functioning skills and ability to focus when required by the context of the situation.  Further, he found that those who daydream and let their minds wander in their daily lives were more open to different experiences - this openness to experiences has been shown to be the strongest personality predictor of creative success.  

 Daniel Coleman, author of the book Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence, has also linked daydreaming to positive self-reflection and the ability to foster new ideas without judgment.  

 So what's my point?  A daydreamer isn't someone who has his head in the clouds and lives in La La Land; a daydreamer is someone who lives in reality but has no problem searching for alternatives no matter how unrealistic they may SEEM.  

 Without ever talking to anyone or doing any research, tons of folks who have student loan debt believe they won't be able to purchase a home until they either pay off that debt in its entirety or win the lottery - and many believe the lottery is more likely to happen.  That's a mindset of someone who doesn't daydream - these same folks claim they're just being realistic.  

 However, a daydreamer - despite her student loans - is going to reach out to a mortgage professional to see what options are available to get into that home sooner than hitting the lottery (or having her fist grandkid).  And she's going to learn - happily - that there are ways to address the student loans that open the door to purchasing her first home.  

 This same "daydreaming" mindset can be helpful in seeking out options available to someone who has gone through a bankruptcy, foreclosure, or short sale previously.  The waiting periods can be MUCH shorter than they believe.  

 Daydreaming doesn't cost you anything - NOT daydreaming could cost you a great deal!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Naked Truth About Home Buying

It’s highly likely I’ve already written about this, but I’ll try to make it entertaining at least.   There’s a guy who works in ou r office who suffers from kidney stones – and from what he’s described, “suffers” might even be a little too tame a word for it.   As an aside, though, when you ask him how painful the experience is, he gets an odd smile and says, “It’s the most intense pain I’ve ever experienced, but it’s hard to describe.   I’ve heard a lot of people compare it to the pain a woman experiences while giving birth.   To that, I must say, those people are big, fat liars!   I’ve been in the presence of a woman giving birth, twice, and her pain has to be 100 times worse.   They’re passing the equivalent of a Buick.   I’m passing a pumpkin seed.”   He’s always been a colorful fellow. He’s had this wonderful condition for over a decade now, and the stones make their appearance about every 18 months or so.   Up until recently, ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Numbers Don't Lie, But Wherein Lies the Truth? (Posted November 21, 2016)

Said with enough conviction, you can make almost anything sound true.   Preface the fabrication with “according to a recent bi-partisan government study,” and you’re three quarters of the way to selling the lie to a lot of people.   Seriously, try this. The next time you’re at a dinner party or having coffee with friends, pepper this little tidbit into the conversation: “I read something really interesting the other day.   According to a recent bi-partisan government study – I think it took them three years to get it all done – middle-aged men who drive either a Toyota Camry or a Honda Odyssey have more testosterone than younger men who drive either a Ford F150 or a Dodge Charger.”   You’ll get some raised eyebrows and looks of mild disbelief, but don’t let that deter you.   Just lift up your hands, palms outward, and say, “I just think it’s interesting, and it makes sense when you think about it” – and then change the subject to something completely u...
Post a Comment
Read more

Time for a New York-Style Housing Fix

Previously, I’ve written about a man who works in our office who lived in New York City back in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s – let me assure you that while that does seem like a very long time ago, it’s not nearly as far bac k as when the wheel was invented and humankind learned to harness the power of fire. If you’ve been to New York City recently and blissfully walked around Harlem to get chicken and waffles at Sylvia’s on Malcolm X Boulevard between 126 th and 127 th Streets or stopped in at Keybar on 13 th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A to wedge yourself into a cozy corner next to their notable fireplace, you wouldn’t get a sense that these areas were once . . . not as welcoming and glitzy as you now see them. Our office mate has told some fairly interesting stories of living in those and other areas of New York City that give a much different sense.   In the late ‘80s/early ‘90s, no matter how many great things you heard about Sylvia’s food, 127 th Str...
Post a Comment
Read more