Buy Low, Vibe High
After a couple strange and foggy weeks, last Monday, I embraced an intention to “Vibe high,” borrowed from Y7 in New York. Yet almost as soon as I started emanating said good vibes, I realized just how quickly and imminently the virus tidal wave that seemed miles away was just about to crash onshore.
Most of us have surely heard the quippy phrase, “Buy low, sell high.” And if you have extra money lying around right now, that’s exactly what you’re doing. But for anyone who isn’t gleefully playing in piles of cash, we think that it can mean something else too. Please allow us to introduce: “Buy Low, Vibe High.”
You’ve heard me say before: “Constraint breeds creativity.” So, my friends, now is the time for us to get creative, for opportunities await. The Universe is shaking things up in a big way. And mark my words: those of us who are ready to seize new opportunities will thrive.
Here is a 3 step exercise that anyone can and should undertake this week. You can do it for yourself, your family, and your business. I call it, “Buy low, vibe high.”
1. Step back and reflect on realities that are outside your control.
Do not put your head in the sand and ignore what’s happened in other parts of the world. This will not blow over in 2 weeks, and its effects (bad and good) are likely to be long-lasting. But please don’t get me wrong; I’m not suggesting that we panic, nor sit in sadness and fear. Instead, let’s take a deep breath, gather ourselves, and think.
Get together with your spouse, friend, or business partner and do this external analysis. What is changing politically, economically, socially…? (Hint: a lot).
We did this in my family this weekend (don’t you wish you were married to me? ;)), and here some big things, affecting the Sellers:
- we’re not hosting in our Airbnb at the moment;
- travel is postponed indefinitely;
- financing rates are low;
- resource scarcity (especially in Nashville);
- health is at a premium;
- hospitals are at capacity; and
- Dave and I are both working from home.
2. Consider the “so what?” What’s the opportunity?
Creative people, unite! This is our time to shine light on the world. For each reality you’ve listed (especially those that seem negative), flip it around and ask one of Annmarie’s hallmark questions: “What else could it be?”
If we were to be our most creative selves, how can we view this constraint from a different angle and see the opportunity?
For the Sellers, we came up with a list:
- Do mini-home / Airbnb projects?
- Host people displaced by the tornado?
- Book cheap travel for year-end?
- Refi our mortgage or take out a home equity line of credit?
- Seek out local investments?
- Take on a BHAG-DIY?
- Exercise as a family?
- Ideate about Dave’s career trajectory (data science in healthcare, hello!)?
- Finally get a puppy?
3. Narrow down what to do now, and do it.
We are in a serious time of change and challenge, and I do not make light of it, nor am I a Suzy Sunshine. If you work with me, you know that I can be idea-squashing and too realistic at times. Yet, I believe that there’s always a choice: do we sit, frozen and waiting for something to happen to us? Or do we dig deep, get smart, and take action while others wait? For me, for the Sellers, and for Ellevated Outcomes, it’s the latter. Always the latter.
As the world has now seen, by the time you’re forced to play defense, it’s often too late. We are playing offense on this one; and in a weird way, I’m excited about it. I’m a creative person, and our clients are creative people. We’re used to problem solving. We’re used to getting crafty with constraints. And we’re used to vibing high to get us through the roller coaster of entrepreneurship.
The next few weeks, months, heck maybe even years will have some shitty moments, no doubt. But I know for certain that the thinkers, the doers, and the optimists will not only survive. We will thrive. For the opportunities, truly do abound.
Buy Low, Vibe High, my dear friends.
