I’ve been in the retail commercial real estate industry for more than 25 years and last year when I turned 50 years young I hit one of the biggest burned out stages in my career. I’ve heard about a “midlife crisis” happening but thought it would never happen to me. I loved real estate. All of my knowledge is in real estate; all of my friends are in real estate. I built a company and a reputation as a top Texas broker in the industry. I can’t just throw it all away. What am I going to do with the rest of my life? Does that sound familiar?
I started worrying and panicking. I thought to myself “I can’t panic this all must be in my head and it will pass.” It didn’t pass. I became obsessed on what I was going to do next in my life. I joked with people telling them I was going to work on the beach selling sun tan lotion and pina coladas.
I rarely ever discuss this issue but I had my first real life panic attack about seven months after my father died at the age of 58 of a major stroke after a minor surgery for a blocked artery so he could walk me down the aisle for my upcoming wedding and my boss died at the age of 50 from a heart attack all in the same year. That was 1997 but that feeling of panic was starting to come back again and I know I didn’t like it and had to do something about it.
I’m now 50 and know there has to be something more. It was almost 10 years ago when I left corporate America to start my own boutique real estate company after hearing the song by one of my favorite country groups Sugarland titled “Something More.” It really hit home with listening to the lyrics. Those same lyrics I am playing again and know there is something more than in life than just real estate.
Well fast forward, I started asking and meeting with people about what I should do and a friend recommended the book “The Path” Creating Your Mission Statement for Work and for Life by Laurie Beth Jones. The book helped answer some key questions but I still needed more clarification.
Nothing was working until FINALLY someone introduced me to Elayna Fernandez and suggested I contact her and take The Passion Test. I was thinking OK everyone talks about you have to find your true passion in order to be happy. Well, I took the Passion Test and working with Elayna really, really helped me breakdown my true passions. I had to be very specific in describing the nine key passions I came up with that is “My life is ideal, and I am…..
It was a lot more difficult exercise at first than I thought it would be but Elayna has a special gift of pulling out what your special God given gift is and once you realize you have one it is so refreshing and life changing (and scary at the same time). After the exercise I found out my gifts are to help people take bigger risks, find solutions very quickly in a creative way and be an excellent resource to people.
Now that I have found my passion the profits will be coming soon. Have you found your passion? Are you stuck in a rut and need some inspiration? I would love to hear your comments on how you found your passion.
Find A Way and Never Give Up!
Pamela Goodwin is the founder of Goodwin Commercial based in Dallas, TX a boutique commercial real estate and consulting firm specializing in developing and investing in retail and restaurant pad sites.
Pam has written and published two books “One Cent Lemonade to Million Dollar Deals -25 Jobs & 25 Lessons I Wish I Learned Sooner!” and is a #1 Best Selling author on Amazon for “Winning Ways in Commercial Real Estate-18 Successful Women Unveil the Tips of the Trade in the Real Estate World.” She is the creator of a four-part audio real estate course, “How to Win in Commercial Real Estate – Zero to $1,000,000 with One Deal.” Pam was selected as a Southwest Woman of Influence by the editors of Real Estate Forum. Pam is an active member in several organizations: ICSC, NTCAR; Deals in Heels; Approved Texas Real Estate Commission Instructor, Forbes Real Estate Council and contributor and
alumni of the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. She resides in Texas with her husband Eric and two teenage sons’ Grant and Garrett.
CEO – Goodwin Commercial
www.pamgoodwin.com
pam@pamgoodwin.com
