I am sure most everyone has heard the saying be careful of what you think as thoughts become actions, and actions become behaviors.

So as I read this forum weekly, I have an honest question. What causes you pain as a landlord? Did you become a landlord because you like feeling the way you do after getting irritated at the job because of a negative stimulus?

Knowing your "why" and never losing sight of it is critical to keeping things going for the long haul. This is a marathon that we run daily. Absolutely there will be bad days. But you have to get up every day, batteries fully recharged, ready to make a difference.

Some people wake up and say - Good Morning God.

Others will be saying - God, its morning

That first cup of coffee or energy drink will help set that tone for your day, maybe your week, your month and maybe even your life. If you are getting a negative vibe from this message, please consider a different real estate niche or maybe even a different career path.

There is absolutely no shame on doing something that makes you happy. Try and make it a great day.

I'm in it for the money (appreciation) and the tax benefits.

50 years ago as a fledging computer programmer I started making double and triple what I had been making. But, when I filed my taxes with the IRS I was openly weeping.

I looked into all kind of investments for my payday windfall but none seemed persuasive.

But, when RE Investment hit my radar, I heard "ding, ding, ding".

It's not without headaches, but so.... worth it.

"You should work as hard keeping your money as you do making it". There's nothing like RE for tax deductions.

"There is absolutely no shame on doing something that makes you happy."

No there isn't. Doing something just for the money and the tax breaks doesn't make a person happy. There are many people who are poor but happy, and there are many people who are rich but miserable. What causes this?

What causes some poor people to be extremely happy?

What causes some very rich people to be extremely unhappy?

To add: Doing something that you hate every single day of your life is no place to be. You will not be successful at it.

I am happy overall with my decision to be in RE.

Having four places come open at basically the same time added a bit of stress to the situation that isn't normally there.

Sat down with the wife (smartest of the two of us) and she said why not make a list of things you know will have to be done at each place.

Seemed silly as I already knew what needed done at the first empty, but I followed orders and even tho the list was huge, I saw where I could get help with some things, double up on some and I put it all into perspective.

Following some things that I have learned from people here I got the first place rented out before I was done with it. I got the second place rented out before they have even seen inside it. I am going to start the un-smoke process on the other empty and can now wait patiently for the fourth one to open up.

Ask your first Wife.

I tend to get over excited at calamities. Just have to have my moment of panic, think it is inherited or learned behavior from my grandmother. Then I go through the stages of grief (this is when we have a really bad turnover like we just had).

Once I get to acceptance, it is all fine. Try to think what can I learn from this:

1. Listen to the landlord when they give you a bad reference.

2. Check on things sooner and nip it when you realize you've made a mistake. (It doesn't make any difference how hopeful you are that you can train them; it is what it is!)

Most important staying grateful. I am so thankful that I had a chance to work for a Realtor when I was young. It introduced me to the world of real estate and the potential there. Even though I got my license, Jimmy Carter hit and nothing was selling. I went to work at a bank and didn't want to make $5.10 an hour the rest of my life.

If you look at the written account of wisdom handed down to us through scripture you will see there is a strong linkage between being content/happy and being thankful. Both are a decision you make each and every day, you can choose to be content/happy and thankful or you can choose to be discontent/unhappy, coveting what others have. That is the human condition no matter what level you have achieved on the wealth scale. Continually focusing on being thankful for what you have is the key to being content/happy.

I am seeing lots of great points thus far. Objectives, goals, obstacles, and happiness are all part of the journey. These are parts we don't typically put into our plan though.

I started in RE has way for retirement. My dad observed people locally that ran successful businesses and had rentals on the side. Sold the biz, retired off the rentals income. Now, the rental biz is bigger and the "retirement plan" has become the job too. But i enjoy the DIY work (flooring, painting, etc). I'm not at a factory listening for a bell/ring to tell me when to work or not. Last two weeks, I have worked very little. Been taking care of my wife after her surgery. Nice little freedom...