Every Year around this time we spend our days getting ready to travel to the homes of family and friends, shopping for last minute thanksgiving meal items and generally maintaining a very frenetic pace.
I have always made it a goal to write down what I am thankful for, rarely do I like to announce these thoughts to all but a few people if anyone at all. However I decided this year would be different, because hopefully if people realize the benefit in appreciating what they have, it will bring just a little bit more cheer to the holidays.
The Things I am thankful for (Important)
My Family- I work in a family business, plain and simple. There are pros and cons, but rest assured no one other than yourself will push you harder than your own family. We make an effort to leave the office talk at the office and rest assured every attempt will be made to not discuss Property Management and or real estate related topics at the dinner table this thanksgiving
My Health- Within the last year I had a minor health scare. At no time do the important items on this list feel like the only items in your life, then when you are faced with your own mortality. Like I recommend to family, friends, and co-workers, health is important, whether it be to reduce stress, have a balanced diet or set up an exercise routine.
My Friends- The last year has been a whirlwind of change. I have had friends get married, have their first child and hit other life milestones. Yet the friendships, many of those forged in grade school still exist. With the amount of life events going on for everybody it takes effort to maintain these relationships. We live in the age of facebook and twitter, it’s easy to feel like we are maintaining a relationship with a simple like or a text. What really makes these relationships stronger is being able to take that time out of your busy schedule to better understand and support your friends, through the good and the bad.
My Co-Workers- You will notice I don’t refer to them as employees. Cause I don’t see them as employees. I feel that a good company needs to understand that every person has a say in the direction and operation in a company from the bottom up. Like many workers, the people who work in our company will spend more time with their fellow co-workers then they do with their children or significant other and I appreciate that sacrifice. Many people join a company for a number of reasons, advancement in a field, financial reasons or explore new interests, and for the most part all of them have a common goal and it is to better themselves. A Company should strive not just to better themselves as an organization but to strive to better the people within it.
There are so many more things I am appreciative of but these are the important ones. My only recommendation to so many people out there is to appreciate and give thanks to what you have on a daily basis.
Happy Thanksgiving
Shun Wakita
President/CEO
HomeTeam Property Management