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March/April 2004 Spirituality
Merging Spirituality & Real Estate

by Saundra Valentine

"Our finest function is becoming focal points for that single spiritual Universal Intention"

Being Congruent

"You have to find someone you can trust" was a common response every time I mentioned I was going into Real Estate. It was as if this was a consensus fear, reflecting a deeper layer of stigma in the Real Estate industry. As I studied to complete my required schooling and pass the state & national real estate exams, I was aware of an edge within me that questioned my intention to enter a career that was not completely respected.

But in a way, that was part of the challenge. Not only to make a living & practice my spiritual path, but to step into an arena that each moment offers an opportunity to Stay Awake. Here’s an example.

An acquaintance called me yesterday & asked me if I could take her around the next day & show her houses. She then said the Real Estate broker that she had been working with was out of town for a week & she didn’t want to wait. I had two choices: 1) Show her houses as a new client or 2) tell her to call the office of the out of town broker & ask to work with a co-worker that would receive a referral fee. I realized I wanted to respond in the way I would want other brokers in the industry to respond, with respect for my relationship with my client. I chose number two.

Gift Integrity

I’m in it for the money! Yup. That’s my truth! My motivation for being honest in each moment is based on my spiritual path, which is that I am a part of the whole. Everything that I think, say and do affects not only me but everyone I am in direct relationship with and indirectly, the entire universe. Integrity means to me, to first examine what is true for me in the moment, viewing that truth though my spiritual practice & then expressing my truth in a skillful, discerning way.

Seeing Beauty

There is beauty in real estate. A home is a place of refuge, a place of expression, & a place to share with others our intimate lives. This sacred space we call our ‘home’ and the constant mirroring relationships that clients & fellow brokers provide, is the beauty I see in a Real Estate career.

"…the universe is a vast net woven of a countless variety of brilliant jewels, each with a countless number of facets. Each jewel reflects in itself every other jewel and is, in fact, one with every other jewel."  
(The Tibetan Book of Living & Dying)

Saundra Valentine can be reached at 503-892-3037or wowsaun35@msn.com.