2 years ago Convention was in Columbus Ohio.

RayRay and I snuck away during the dinner break to check out the dealership selling Rolls Royce, Lamborghini, and Porsche to be inspired. Gotta feed your DREAM every day!

Nothing like smelling the new leather and caressing the steering wheel of a car beyond your means. Set a goal to get one.

A year later I got one of those cars.

This year I snuck away during dinner to test drive another of my DREAM cars on my list, the one Enzo Ferrari said was "the most beautiful car in the world" THE classic Jaguar XKE convertible - Regency Red with Biscuit Tan leather interior. $100,000 of restoration work completed.

So if we go back to Columbus Ohio next year...

What's YOUR DREAM?

"My people perish from lack of vision" said somebody smarter than me.

BRAD

Ray is a retired Senior Chief. We are taught to be humble. There isn't much of a Rolls that is Humble. But I did want to give Brad a shout out for doing something very classy. That Doctor that spoke was a class act and made us view our places as portfolios and not as a group of properties. That is something that mom and pops do well at all. so that was an eye opener.

Brad did an ultimate step in servant leadership, he played the role as Shouffer for her and her assistant and drove them to the airport. When a RR pulls up curve side, people notice. That was a classy way to send her off. Thanks, Brad, for making her day too.

Aston Martin V8 Zagato.

Now if I can just convince DH to remove the chassis of the '46 Chevy coal truck out of the garage and send it off to his brother's house where the rest of the truck has been sitting for almost 8 years now.

I might be able to afford a Jaguar, but I can't afford the maintenance. A neighbor had a lovely Jag sedan and he would drive it once and then into the shop, when it came out of the shop, he would drive it once and then back into the shop. But it was a joy to ride in. If you opened the hood, you could not have dropped a dime in there the space was so packed full of motor, which meant it was really expensive to have any work done on it, because nothing was accessible.

Cars are MY thing, after some smaller stuff.

What are *YOUR* DREAMS that propel you to try harder, to adapt, the filter out the "noise", to not let the negs bother you and focus on a goal?

My goals have been 3 free-and-clear rentals + my own home when I retire.

I'm close. I have that many right now, and only $44,286.36 left on the bunch of them. The newest, 2-unit rental debt is just $178.07, and will be totally paid off once I get my mid-month rent. YAHOO!

My other goal is to spend time with family as well as travel around the country, enjoying its beauty & meeting its people. With the supplemental income from the (few) rentals funding it.

Vehicles are just for carrying stuff - no need for anything special, in my mind.

Whatever it is, you must keep your goals in front of you to motivate you each day.

AND - this is important - some of you don't seem to understand.

It is good to be content. It is NOT necessary to constantly be grinding, searching, working to expand and increase income. If that is what you want to do, fine - go for it! But don't be judgmental and criticizing others with different dreams because they do not share yours. Thank you.

Considering my life experiences & resources, I think I'm quite blessed to have been able to achieve what I have in real estate investments.

To me, Money is not even close to the most important thing/goal.

Luxury vehicles don't fit my lifestyle and I don't want the attention they bring. I feel the same about jewelry and similar. I'm just not going anywhere where I can drive or wear that stuff, so I don't aspire to them.

Sage advice DJ "It is good to be content...". I've experienced what money makes people do and as long as my family has all of our needs covered, excess simply is not important. Not even a little.

I am still working towards my goals.

As for vehicles, I want something that is usable and reliable. I have been leasing for a while now. It is nice not to have to worry with major repairs, but I am going back to owning after this one. I kept all my other vehicles for a long while. I will just trade them off when the big stuff starts hitting.

Side note:

DJ, that's great that you only have that amount left to pay off a place.

"It is very good to be content with what you have been given, whatever that is"

I compete against myself. I don't compare to others.

I set a goal and lay out a plan.

The work and the accomplishment provide the contentment and satisfaction...and cash which pays for the DREAM.

The goal gives me "eyes", opens my vision to SEE opportunities that were right in front of me all along, and opportunities others walk past because they have no reason to look.

There are plenty of deals out there RIGHT NOW - they just look different than before.