Lesson #1: Patience

As many of you know, I am in the process of remodeling. I am flipping every single inch of the little home I purchased in September.

Such an experience. Out of the many lessons that it has taught me- two have stood out. 

The first lesson has been taught through the misery of waiting. Patience. 

Not one of my strong suits. Coming from a family of nine children I have developed a lot of patience when it comes to interactions with others. Eighteen years of living with five brothers has helped me attain a petty high tolerance level. However, my patience in regards to circumstantial inconvenience is not as apparent. I like to move forward, get things done, reach the next goal. When things get in the way that are out of my control, anxiety kicks in and frustration taints my bent toward optimism. 

If you have read a little about my journey under the Meet Hannah tab, you know that I dropped out of college after one year to pursue my dream to succeed in the field of design. I spent a lot of time in thought and prayer weighing the pros and cons, assessing consequences, and recognizing opportunities. Opportunities- I had a job opportunity at hand that would introduce me to world of design. My parents were in the business of flipping houses so I had the knowledge and tools at arms' reach to help me flip my first house. I had almost enough money from a small college fund and money saved up from working to purchase a small foreclosure. And the market was prime. With this in mind (along with several other factors), I did not re-enroll for the upcoming year at GVSU. 

That was a lot of background information. Back to this lesson of patience- April of 2013 I sold the house I was currently living in to purchase another and begin the flipping process. We already had the place (it was actually a condo) in line. It was a great deal and great location. I was so excited. The plan was to move out in April, live at home for about 3 weeks, then move into the condo and start renovating. 

Things did not go as smoothly as I had imagined. We had an unbelievable amount of issues with the bank. Reals Estate is a giant, massive, painful HEADACHE. Long story short-after several months of waiting patiently, we lost the condo.

Around the same time my mom spotted an adorable little house in another great location-crazy good deal. It had my name written all over it- the definition of quaint. It was so cute. Everything was going smoothly. We kept talking about how the condo must have fallen through so that this perfect little house could fall into my lap. 

The day of closing, it fell through. I was devastated. I can imagine my parent's conversation when they discussed who had to break the news to me. I was a mess. I tend to get emotionally attached to these houses-after the first tour I spend hours day dreaming about how to decorate each space. I was heart broken. 

(I realize that this is overly dramatic and my emotional attachment to inanimate objects is absurd and unusual).

Anyways, I finally did get a house. Third time's the charm. But it took 6 LONG MONTHS (still working on the whole bitterness thing) instead of the 3 weeks I bargained for. 

It was so frustrating having to put my projects and dreams on hold for months at a time. Not to mention 6 months of living out of a suitcase. 

I had to remind myself to be grateful that I had a place to move into. I had a beautiful family to live with in the meantime. I didn't have the stress of moving several children with me. I had the finances available to be able to live in a nice place in a nice area. Every once in a while, in the midst of my self-pity, I was slammed with the guilt of these realities. Sometimes I mistakenly buy into an attitude of entitlement, pride, haughtiness, arrogance. 
 
I can sincerely say that I am thankful for the months of frustration. The level of gratitude and appreciation I have for this house is insurmountably greater than it would have been after an easy three week transition. I am thankful for the lesson of patience and for the process of being humbled. 

This wasn't suppose to be such a serious post. A bit long too. Didn't realize I had so much to say. 

I will post my second lesson soon. 

Have a beautiful day and count your blessings, 
Han