REPOST- ARTICLE BY LARRY BETTAG-credits and contact info below.  A must share for anyone in any industry!  This one is well worth your time.

When I was in high school, I was the perfect C student.

I’d come home my first quarter and I got 3 C’s and 3 D’s.  Second Quarter was 6 Cs.  3rd Quarter was 3 C’s and 3 D’s.  Final grade…..6 Cs.  I had a hard time adjusting to high school.  Frankly, I hated the studying.  My grades were my evidence that I hated studying.  Everytime my report card came in that year, and throughout my years of high school, I could hear my dad walking down the hallway for the “talk.”  By the 3rd time he came down, I had it memorized.  The magic phrase was life is 10% brain power and 90% Ass Power.  It’s never been more true in my life.

My 3 brother’s are MDs and my sister graduated number one out of Notre Dame’s MBA class.  I was the dumb one, but my mom and dad had two things they stress to me over the years.  Mom said that her role was to get me to heaven.  My dad said that his role was to make sure that I’m successful in life.  For him, it came down to 10% brain power and 90% Ass Power.

Long story short…

I went on and got a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology and subsequently graduated law school from Northern Illinois University.  Dad was right and now I’m saying the same B.S. to my kids.

When it comes to real estate, I will tell you invariably 100% of the time, I see the same thing.  Never a variation.

10% Brain Power and 90% Ass Power.

I see people who are more intelligent than me (I know that’s hard to believe).  But then I think that they really aren’t more intelligent than me because they won’t put forth the effort to be successful.

CRITICAL QUESTION????  HOW DO YOU DEFINE INTELLIGENCE?

If it’s I.Q. I’m right there, but not hanging in the Mensa Society or anything like that.  If it’s being smart enough to be successful, I think I’m post graduate in my level of thinking.

I had a great friend who made $1,000,000 of income

originating loans a few years back.  30 FHA purchase transactions a month.  At the end of the year, he said never again.  He was burnt out.  That was 5 years ago and he’s barely making it.  He’s barely at 3 deals a month.  I don’t think that it’s a sprint, but if you’re in this business you need to be in it for the long haul.  It’s a marathon, not a sprint.  It’s the ass power, the work ethic, the “get it doneness” that separates winners from losers.

I’m amazed at the talent that I see in my business, but those with the most talent often won’t work.  It’s such a welfare mentality.  “I’ll go to work today, check my e-mails and hope that the phone rings” doesn’t work in today’s market.  Players vs. Pretenders.  If you are going to work, you need to work hard.

If I were to make a bottom line statement here it’s that failure to work with a purpose, means that your livelihood in this business is in jeapardy.

My reason for writing this post is for inspiration.  You don’t have to be the smartest.  But anyone who is willing to work on purpose and who will out work the competition will be successful.  Remember,

10% Brain Power and 90% Ass Power

Larry Bettag – Regional Vice President, Midwest Region

Illinois FHA Specialist

630-417-7172-Cherry Creek Mortgage Company