Many years ago my husband and I decided to divorce. We listed our house for sale. At the time it was a downward market and houses were not selling. Our house was also located in the country, and country homes typically were even more difficult to sell.
Patiently I waited. While the house was listed I began a search for a new home. I would go and look at open houses and new home showrooms. My husband would ask me, "Peggy why are you bothering to go and look at a house? You have no money to buy one." We were losing equity in our home every day. The housing market was declining. Our house was listed for less than what we paid for it, and we had decreased the listing price twice since it was listed. Charles was absolutely right - I had no money to buy a new home.
However, I was dead set on my goal. I would own a home. And, not just any home. I clearly described my home and wrote it on a goal card that I carried with me. My goal statement was as follows: I Peggy McColl, am enjoying living in my gorgeous four bedroom home, beautifully decorated, fully furnished, double car garage, in a modern subdivision on a nice lot, in a neighborhood with lots of trails and parks for Michel and I to go cycling.
Michel is my son and at the time he was two-years-old. It was important for me to have a nice home for my son and to raise him in an area where there were other small children, and surrounded by nature.
While I was in the process of looking for a home I heard of an interesting lottery in our city. It was called "The Dream of a Lifetime." The way it worked was that you could buy a ticket for $100, giving you the opportunity to win a grand prize. The grand prize was a large 4 bedroom home that was completely furnished, professionally decorated, professionally landscaped, complete with two new cars, groceries for a year, all legal costs, moving expenses and cleaning services for one year.
When I heard of this draw, I said, "Perfect!" This was a great solution to my situation.
The Dream Home, as they called it, was open for visiting during the day. I drove out to the home, passing several parks and nature trails and arrived at a beautifully decorated, four-bedroom, three bathroom detached home with a double car garage, located in a nice modern subdivision.
I walked in the front door and fell in love with the house. I immediately started to visualize living in this home. I sat in all of the rooms and visualized. There was a lady house-sitting and I sat with her at the kitchen table and I imagined that she had come to visit me. I would look out the window and think to myself, "this is what it will be like at Christmas when we live here." Upstairs I went through all of the rooms. I decided which bedroom would be Michel's. I would lie on the large bed in the master bedroom and visualize sleeping on this bed. I got in the large roman tub. I imagined what it would be like to have a wonderful warm bubble bath in my great tub. I would vividly imagine all of the details and imagine the smell of the scents; including the bath oils. I kept my clothes on, of course, while I was in the bathtub, but the effect was the same!
Several times I would visit the house. It remained open right up until the day of the draw. When I would visit the house I would go for walks around the neighborhood. I would drive to the house and imagine driving home from work. I also changed my goal card to include the address of the home with the description that I already had on my goal card.
On December the 7th the Dream of a Lifetime draw was held. A local Doctor won the house.
What did I do? I changed my goal card and simply removed the address. I did not lose sight of my goal.
Several months passed. Our home was still not sold. I asked my husband if he would be willing to keep the house if I left and took nothing. He agreed. We determined an appropriate shared custody schedule for Michel and set a date for when we would part ways as husband and wife.
I decided to take a drive past the Dream of a Lifetime home. It had been 4 months since the draw and the doctor won the house. As I drove up to the house I noticed a for sale sign. I figured it was a "sign" for me. I called the real estate agent and said, "I want to make an offer on this house."
Within 30 minutes the agent was at the house. We sat at the dining room table (all of the furniture remained in the home). The doctor was selling the house and did not need any of the furniture. I wrote up an offer that allowed me to move into the home and occupy it for a period of time and close at a later date. This idea just came to me. When I called the agent I had no idea how I would pay for it, but I knew I would find a way. I do know that when we are committed there is always a way.
Two months later Michel and I moved into our new home. We loved it! It was absolutely perfect.
My next challenge was to come up with the funds required to close the deal on the house. At the time we moved in I was an "occupant," with an agreement to purchase and firm close date. Now I had to come up with the money. Honestly, in my heart I knew I would do it, but I did not know how I would do it.
Interestingly enough I worked for a company that was about to go "public." The IPO (Initial Public Offering) was set. I had saved some money for the close of my house and put every dollar on the IPO and bought shares. The IPO was set for October, and my house was to close on December 1st. Two weeks before the IPO was set the date was moved. They changed the IPO date to November 26th. All of the money that I had raised was now tied up in a stock and I had no idea which direction this stock would go.
Was I nervous? You bet. But I refused to give up. I maintained a level of certainty, and removed any thoughts of negativity when they came into my mind. I had clearly defined my goal and I was laser focused on making it happen. I developed an unwavering faith.
On the 26th of November the company went public and the stock shot up like a rocket. I sold the shares immediately and on the 1st of December I closed the deal on my home. I owned the Dream of a Lifetime Home and lived there with my son for 8 more years, until we sold it for a very healthy profit and bought another home.
Peggy McColl
Peggy is the author of this month's special, "The 8 Proven Secrets to SMART Success E-Course." Get her strategies for success by going to: http://www.insightoftheday.com/a.asp?bpap&1336&isp
