circumstances

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Circumstances Should Dictate Our Actions

In order to be successful in our pursuits, or even protect against harm, we need to understand the circumstances we live in.

circumstances should dictate our actions

It’s one thing to be blindsided by something you didn’t see coming, but, if you are unaware or not paying attention to the circumstances, you will not see what’s coming. Then your reaction or actions will be out of step with reality.

This can apply to even the weather.

If you are unaware of the outdoor temperature, it’s very possible that you will not be dressed properly for going outside.

That may be a minor inconvenience in the summer, but in the winter it’s a lot more serious. You definitely want to be wearing the right coat when the temps dip below 0 Celsius, or wearing boots if there is a foot of snow outside.

To be caught unaware of these circumstances would be a mistake you wouldn’t want to make again.

On the other hand, if you have a rare collection of baseball cards and don’t understand that card collection is a hot fad at the time, you will probably miss out on getting as much for those baseball cards as you could have.

I’m beginning to wonder if some people in real estate right now are not paying attention to the circumstances they are in. They’re not in tune with the signs of the times.

My son is looking to buy a condo right now. Some might say it’s not a good time, but sometimes your circumstances force the issue.

He’s looked at a lot of homes and has put offers on a few. What he’s finding is the sellers all want more than what they are asking. 

I don’t blame the sellers because who wouldn’t want to get more than your asking price? But the economic circumstances we find ourselves in right now might not accommodate that kind of thinking or selling practice.

Some sellers set a price but don’t want to settle for anything less than way over what they are asking. Then there are other sellers who set a low asking price and take bids on a certain day. They are hoping for a bidding war that will drive up the price of what they get. 

However, we don’t live in that world right now. That’s not reality.

Twice now my son has placed the best offer on one of these bidding listings. Once he was the best offer between a whopping total of two bids. The other time he was the only bid. He didn’t get either one of the homes. And because what the owners really wanted was a figure far above the asking price. 

It seems that some real estate agents and their clients still believe the circumstances are like they were during covid.

The other night ended with two unhappy groups and a lot of wasted energy, hope and expectation.  

You have to know your circumstances.

Here’s the thing: We can see the world struggling environmentally, struggling to find peace between countries, struggling to solve world economic and health concerns through a one-size-fits-all controlled system.

Thousands of years ago the Bible predicted it all, but also gave a hope in the midst of it all. That hope is Jesus Christ and, by having our faith in Him, no matter what happens to this world we can share eternity with Him in heaven. Be aware of the circumstances and act appropriately.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What circumstances have you been ignoring lately? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Varying Temperature

We know that temperature varies from place to place, but 20° Celsius isn’t even the same across the country.

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When you hear what the temperature is somewhere else, you immediately interpret it as what it would feel like where you are presently.

Of course, this leads to either jealousy or boasting. We either wish we had the temperature in that other city or we proudly admire the great temperature we have.

I was recently in Calgary for a conference and when I flew out of Toronto it was quite warm. When I got to Calgary, it was a little overcast and cooler.

The next day, however, was going to be around 20 C so I dressed appropriately for what 20 C would be back home in Ontario.

What I found, though, was I could have worn a light spring coat and been perfectly comfortable. It’s not that I was cold, but it wasn’t warm either.

The next day I wore shorts. It was supposed to be warmer and, though I was not chilly wearing shorts, I could have been slightly more comfortable in long pants. Choosing my attire based solely on the temperature, I should have been very comfortable.

Just before I was leaving Calgary, I stopped to grab lunch at a fast food restaurant. I placed my order, and while waiting, saw a young guy come in rather exhausted.

He said to me, “Man, is it ever hot out there!” I could tell he wasn’t kidding. The temperature had risen to about 24 C, but he seemed like he wasn’t going to make it through the day if he didn’t get some kind of relief.

He ordered water.

That’s it! It was like if he didn’t get water right then, he couldn’t go on. Fortunately, the place had lots of water and it seemed he had enough change in his pocket to pay for it.

I was ready if he had been short a few coins; I would have chipped in for the guy. He seemed a little desperate.

After I finished my meal in the comfort of the air conditioned restaurant, I prepared to head out into the blistering heat.

I thought maybe I should order a bottle of water to go in case I collapsed before I reached my rental car. … I simply took my chances.

Outside the restaurant the temperature was nice. I wasn’t sweating and I certainly didn’t feel the heat of the sun beating down on me.

I thought about the young guy inside and wondered how he would do in the same temperature in Toronto. He may have needed two bottles of water – one to carry in case it was a long distance between watering holes.

When I got into Toronto at 9:30 pm that night, it was about 19 C. It felt about the same temperature as it had in Calgary at midday with the sun shining down on us.

Someone pointed out to me that in the winter -10 C in Toronto feels a lot more severe than -10 C in Calgary. I guess it’s all relative.

Here’s the thing: In life we deal with the same circumstances in different ways. We have different thresholds for what we experience. Aren’t you glad that God is personal and deals with you, helps you, listens to you, responds to you, not according to the degree of the issue, but based on how it feels to you?

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What issues cause “severe temperatures” for you? Leave your comments below.