Early Bird

The trouble with being a very early bird today is that 10am felt like 4pm. I was up just just before 4am with no alarm so I could bike along the trail to the Bike & Bean for a cancer fundraiser. You see I lost my mom to cancer in 2005 and my wife lost her mom in 2008. So it’s for a very important cause.

The money we are raising is going to help cancer patients who are receiving treatment at the QEII. This is my annual ride for cancer season whereby friends and I train, fund raise and then come the event in October we ride anywhere between 50-150K.

The discomfort of getting up early and the frequent training sessions truly pales in comparisons to what the cancer patients go through just to survive. So please take a few minutes and donate to this worthy cause. The link to my fundraising page is right here.

Thanks,

Pat

Obstacles or Opportunities

I am a glass half full kind of guy. I prefer to look for opportunities rather than obstacles. Not everything goes according to plan every time but if all you focus on is obstacles then you will fail to see the opportunities or the options available to you. As it is how you deal with what happens in life that truly defines you. We all go though failures, breakups, job loss and death in the family. Nothing about any of that is unique to one individual, it’s how you respond to what’s happening to you that determines who you become.

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia Brokerage (2021-3000179) Broker (2021-3000180), Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

Unmotivated

We have all had times in our lives when we have been unmotivated to get anything accomplished. When I don’t want to or I don’t feel like it seems like the perfect answer to almost any question. However if you spend too long in that mindset you will get nothing accomplished.

Because it’s days when you feel unmotivated but do it anyway that will make you feel the best. When you didn’t want to get up but ended up having an awesome day. When you didn’t want to do your workout but did it anyway and now you feel incredible. When you didn’t want to make your sales calls but ended up having some amazing conversations.

The magic happens when you just put one foot in front of the other and just keep moving. Psychology follows physiology, meaning if you want to feel better than start to move your body. Get funky to get out of your funk. Sooner or later you will forget why you were unmotivated in the first place.

I didn’t want to go for a recovery run today after doing 15K yesterday, but I did it anyway and I am glad that I did.

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia Brokerage (2021-3000179) Broker (2021-3000180), Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

Hair of the dog

Hair of the dog usually referrs to having a drink while still hung over. I confess that I don’t drink, never have as my family already had too many alcoholics. What I am writing about here is going back to the original activity without being 100% recovered.

So while I ran 15K today and am quite sore from the effort, I will probably go for a small recovery run tomorrow.

If you fall flat on your face from failure, it’s best to get back up immediately and get back at it.

Have your heart broken, we have all been there. You can wallow in your misery or you can make some new friends, I know which feels better.

If your offer on that beautiful house get rejected, it’s not failure it’s a learning experience. Keep looking and and find another one to bid one and sooner or later you will be succesful.

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia Brokerage (2021-3000179) Broker (2021-3000180), Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

Decide to be

While doing a 75 min peloton class this morning the instructor threw out a few quotes during the brief intervals of rest. The one that stuck with me was a Wayne Dyer quote, ” You can either be miserable or you can be motivated”. It’s like we can either complain or we can do something about it. You can’t do both.

We have all had moments of misery and when we look back on them they turned out to be highly motivating. It is in the moments between misery and motivation that are the most dangerous. Being comfortable is the antithesis of motivation. The key is to be never satisfied with your current results and always striving to do better.

I am not saying that you should be ungrateful, you need to appreciate all that you have but continually strive to do and be better. The motto for Nike says it best “There is no finish line”. Just do it is their slogan. Learn to see that life is just a process rather than the attainment of any one goal. Learn to enjoy the struggle of the process and you will have found true happiness.

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia Brokerage (2021-3000179) Broker (2021-3000180), Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

Everything is up

Everything is up but the paycheques. From food, gas, housing and even Netflix. Central banks around the world have been raising rates in the hopes of consumers putting the brakes on their spending. However if we stop spending too quickly it will put us into a recession. On the other side of it we still need to spend money just to live so something has to give.

The economy relies on consumers and businesses spending money but if rates and products rise too quickly then everyone will cut back on the spending all at once. The balance they say is a slow and steady change but that has not been happening with interest rates nor gasoline. It feels like a big game of chicken, someone has to give first and from all indications it seems like us cutting back on spending will happen well before prices and rates start to come back down.

The Bank of Canada raised it’s overnight lending rate this week by 50 basis points and further indicate that another rate increase maybe coming with the next meeting in July. Also with Russia showing no signs that is is through with their invasion of Ukraine so world oil prices will continue to stay high. So until these two things signal a change of course, tighten the purse strings as higher prices may be around for a while.

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia Brokerage (2021-3000179) Broker (2021-3000180), Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

Bad Habits

There is an expression in fitness, “You can’t out train a bad diet”. I think that the same applies to finances, whereby you can’t out earn bad spending habits. Thinking that if you just made a little more money that you would then be able to get control of it and have enough to meet all your needs is blatantly false and a gross exaggeration.

The internet full of stories of celebrities, professional athletes, lotto winners and business owners who have gone bankrupt yet were by most accounts rich. There are also plenty of stories of people who by most accounts made a modest living yet when they passed away where quite wealthy. The main difference is that one group knew how to manage their money and the other group did not.

The first rule of money management is to spend less than you make. And if you are a proponent of YNAB as I hope that you are, their rule #1 is to give every dollar a job. Go beyond living from pay cheque to pay cheque and master this greatest stress that most people will ever have which is running out of money before the end of every month.

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia Brokerage (2021-3000179) Broker (2021-3000180), Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

Past performance

Your past performance does in no way equal your future results. Companies frequently market mutual funds by touting their past performance but that in no way guarantees what it will do when you invest your money.

As individuals we too often get caught up in how we did yesterday to predict or think about how we will do tomorrow. Just because you failed or did poorly at something the last time out in no way predicts that your results will be the same the next time around.

Focusing only the moment and forgetting about any past failures or poor performances takes a certain level of mental toughness. I think of this every time I watch our Canadian girl Layla Fernandez play a major tennis tournament. This girl is incredible, she never lets dropping a game or a set get to her, she always focuses on what she has to do in the moment and grinds all the way to the end. Win or lose she is an inspiration for how she always strives to stay in the moment and make the best of every opportunity.

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia Brokerage (2021-3000179) Broker (2021-3000180), Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

36 Years

A lot can change over 36 years, I am thinking of this as it is the length of time between the first and second Top Gun movies. I was 17 at the time of the first one and saw it when I was living in Quebec City for french immersion back in 1986. Went to see the new one yesterday with my best man from my wedding 25 years ago.

Since 1986, there have been 9 different wars fought around the world from the Iran/Iraq conflict all the way up to the current war happening in Ukraine. The population of the word has increased over 60% from just over 4,9 billion in 1986 to over 7,9 billion in 2022. Yet still no Stanley Cup for the lowly Toronto Maple Leafs.

However in terms of personal finance, a 5 year fixed rate mortgage averaged 11.25% and a variable rate mortgage had a rate of 9.95% back in 1986. So as much as rates have been increasing over the past 4-5 months, it pales in comparison to where we were just 36 short years ago.

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia Brokerage (2021-3000179) Broker (2021-3000180), Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

The details

The devil they say is in the details, from this I am deriving that it is the little things done consistently over time that count. I am inspired to write that about being a frequent runner the past few years. Normally I would run 20-30K a week, however this past winter with an injury and the weather some days not being conducive to running I only got out a few times. As a result my normal pace of about 5:05/km is now about 5:25/km. So keeping consistent over time matters.

I will extrapolate this to personal finance as well. By saving money consistently and paying your bills as they come due will put you in a very strong financial position. You will have a solid nest egg built up and you will also have excellent credit. Those who have developed a strong delayed gratification will be much happier and wealthier in the long run than those who continually chase the latest and the greatest.

“Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”
― Lao Tzu

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia Brokerage (2021-3000179) Broker (2021-3000180), Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here