Vulnerability Collaborates with Creativity

These are interesting times, or should I be saying scary times? The world has never seemed smaller and more connected than it has in the last few months. It doesn’t matter what part of the world you are living in, if Coronavirus, Covid-19, or C-19 are mentioned everyone, young and old, immediately understands what you are talking about. Interesting, a new word that only became known to the world a few months ago is now mainstream and draws fear, uncertainty, panic, anxiety, and every one of us could add a verb to this list. I think we could all agree that we have sensed a degree of vulnerability over the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic. 

Vulnerability is an interesting emotion. I Googled, ‘is vulnerability good or bad’ and this is what Google said, “Vulnerability isn’t good or bad… to feel is to be vulnerable. To believe vulnerability is weakness is to believe that feeling is weakness.” Read that again, to believe vulnerability is weakness is to believe that feeling is weakness. Feeling vulnerable is not being weak, yet many would believe that feeling vulnerable is a bad thing or means you are weak.

I personally think vulnerability is good, and I believe that performing self-induced vulnerability is good and brings out the best in me. Some of my biggest wins and most creative ideas or ventures have come when I have been most vulnerable, or when I have self-induced vulnerability. I know some of you are questioning my sanity right now! But in all seriousness, times that I have put myself in calculated self-induced vulnerable situations is when the best of me has appeared. 

Think about past vulnerable situations you have personally faced. I am sure some have made you afraid, caused anxiety, failure and emotional turmoil. While others have brought the absolute best out in you! Can you think of any?

Covid-19 certainly is making the entire world feel vulnerable, the key word here is feel. We need to guard our feelings against it taking over our lives. If we allow it to consume and take over our emotions, the outcome may very well be that we are walking away from the very thing that gives purpose and meaning to living. The key is to channel the vulnerability in a positive way, strip away all the nonsense and allow one’s vulnerable state to collaborate with your creativity. 

Unfortunately, there will be many losers when this pandemic has passed; however, there will be winners as well. Some of the winners will be the companies that were just selling the right product at the right time, like Zoom conference calling, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, or hospital supplies. But many of the winners will be the ones that accepted and understood that their world was stripped down to a vulnerable state. Once in this state, these companies were forced to be creative and find a way through in order to make their business work. 

Please personally acknowledge: there is a creative genius inside each one of us, but it often takes an event or emotion to draw it out. In these times, Covid-19 is the change catalyst. In these interesting times, allow vulnerability to collaborate with creativity, and you never know, you might find a hidden winner within. 

During these interesting, or others may say scary, times I have had many phone calls, texts, and emails from clients asking, what is next? What is next with the current market? What is next for the future market? What is next with interest rates? Followed by, what should I do? Should I continue to keep looking for the next property? Or should I just sit and wait? Then, how is this going to affect interest rates? How is this going to affect market price? Will prices go up or down? So many questions and so few answers. 

I want to remind everyone that we are not in a housing crisis. We are in a pandemic crisis called Covid-19. Think of all the news bulletins, headlines, the talk on the streets, and the talk among your family. Are any of these led by real estate headlines? No, they are led by Covid-19. 

Yes, Covid-19 will certainly impact the market numbers, but it certainly has not impacted the month of March. March numbers in most areas were stronger than March 2019. We are still seeing the residual numbers from the business being done in February and early March. However, April and the months moving forward will be the true test as to what effect Covid-19 will have on our market. 

We all desire to know the future and unfortunately clarity of the future is a bit foggy currently. I could give you optimistic answers to the questions above, and by the way I am an optimistic guy. However, it is too early to say that I believe this, or I believe that. One thing I do know, everything is going to be fine. Be bigger than the situation and keep your mind strong.