Читать книгу 7L: The Seven Levels of Communication - Michael J. Maher - Страница 8

INTRODUCTION

IHEARD MY HEART FLAT-LINE. The heartbeat monitor screamed its alarm.

Soon after, I opened my eyes to a large German woman all in white hovering over me. Heaven? No, Heaven wasn’t quite ready for me yet.

“Welcome back. You gave us quite a scare there,” said the head nurse.

I wasn’t even thinking I was dying. Not me. It was too unbelievable. It wasn’t my time. It couldn’t be. I was in good health. I looked around the hospital room and I realized . . . I almost DIED just now. Reality hit me. Tears welled up in my eyes. I fear very little, but I was scared. I am NOT a crier, but as they prepped me for surgery to implant a temporary pacemaker, I was frightened to tears.

I remember looking at the nurse’s chalkboard in the room on which December 18, 2007 was written. I thought, “I can’t die on that date. There is nothing significant about December 18, 2007.” Then I thought of my wife, Sheri. She would kill me if I died! She does not take loss well and I knew she would be mad as well as sad. The cardiologist asked me her name and number. I told him quietly and asked him to hold off on calling her. I would have to coach him on how to approach her.

Another thought flashed through my mind. I don’t have any children. Sheri and I had discussed children, but never seriously. I was ambivalent to the idea—until that moment. I now wanted a child.

Something else came to mind and frankly, it surprised me a little. I thought of my father. My father was a high school teacher. He was very influential in the community and coached three sports. With that schedule, he was busy. When we talked, it was mostly about sports. . . until he got cancer. During a poignant moment just before his death, he shared with me his only regret; he had not written his memoirs. Thinking about him and his words that day made me realize I had knowledge, a system, and a belief that needed to be shared. This book, the one you have in your hands or on your screen at this moment, is the accumulation of my learning, implementing, failing, and evaluating the strategies necessary to build a business based on others recommending me and my services. In your hands, you hold the strategies, techniques, and systems I used—and continue to use daily—to become known as “America’s Most Referred Real Estate Professional.”

As I have been blessed with greater success, I have had the privilege of teaching and coaching others to do the same. This book tells the story of many of my coaching clients and members of my team; men and women who are ready to evolve from the Ego Era to the Generosity Generation. They are ready to stop wasting money on costly personal promotion and invest in relationships. They want to build more than a business; they want to leave a legacy.

If you want a business that will outlive you, this book will show you how to build it. If you are ready to build a large, highly profitable business using nothing but word of mouth, this book will provide you with the strategies, techniques, and resources you need. It is my hope that it will lead you not only to greater financial freedom, but also to a more fulfilling existence.

I wish my dad had put together his memoirs. It would be such a great read. I am now the father of a precious little boy. I imagine sitting on the floor during reading time with Max and reading my dad’s stories, advice, and wisdom. After reading this book again, I realize that my dad and I wrote this together. I am honoring his legacy by passing on this knowledge. I survived that fateful day to help, teach, and coach others.

What had almost killed me? It turned out to be blood clots—a complication from knee surgery I had four days prior. There is a Friedrich Nietzsche quote, “What doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger.” Here’s my advice to let you know you don’t have to nearly die to truly live:

“Don’t wait for a life-changing event to change your life.”