Sometimes Our Dreams Smack Us In The Face
Sometimes, our dreams smack us in the face, in a good way. At least, that's what happened to me when the speaker talked about the buyback loop at the conference I recently attended. When he said, "We need to delegate before we hit the pain point. Otherwise, we do it from a negative space," that hit me right where I needed it.
I've shared how I said goodbye to the dream of building something big with my parent's insurance company. I realized my passion wasn't there and that my dream was calling me to something else, this. That being said, I still have other dreams. One is to see my parents become partners (a level of success in this insurance organization).
I've been working with them behind the scenes to help people figure out their dreams and hold them accountable to the goals that they set for themselves. It's kind of the same thing that I want to do for military spouses. But here's the thing: there are other ways I could help. I know that this job is perfect for military spouses looking for some extra income. The company has plenty of success stories to prove that.
I haven't been able to talk about it, though. Despite my belief in the company and knowing I would go back into the field in some capacity, I just haven't been able to share that with anyone. However, when that speaker shared about the buyback loop, I realized what had happened.
During my last few months working with the company, I was dating my husband. He lived ten hours away, and anything that kept me from visiting started to become the bad guy. When I brought that mindset to work, my productivity plummeted. That turned into a lack of success, which only increased my frustration and made me further upset that I wasn't in Florida. You can see how this cycle got out of hand very quickly. I was too new in the business and too young to know how to handle the situation properly.
Around this time, I realized I had a new dream, so I shifted my focus to that, but I left the insurance work in a very negative place. I hadn't thought about that since, though. And what I realized was that I needed to reframe that time in my life. I needed to find a way to put a positive spin on it because I set myself up for failure while chasing other dreams. I never blamed the company, but I blamed myself. That blame still made it impossible for me to move forward with anything else related to the company.
So, coming out of the conference, I knew the shift I needed to make. I planned to do some solid journaling and reflection once I got home. My dream, however, had other plans. My son and I boarded our flight home the day after the conference. We flew from Orlando and landed in Dallas for our connection. Upon landing, I turned off airplane mode on my phone and had a voicemail.
I still have clients from when I was an agent. Everyone I helped with their life insurance still knows me as their agent. And I was always willing to help out if their family ever needed anything or experienced a death. I was still an insurance agent to them in every sense of the word. I just wasn't actively seeking out new clients.
Anyway, when we landed in Dallas, I had a voicemail from my all-time favorite clients. I helped this couple and the husband's brother on July 1st, 2017. I remember everything about that appointment because that was the day my cousin was born. I went straight from their house to meet that sweet boy, and my car was loaded up with squash and zucchini from my client's garden.
I heard from them a few months later when the brother passed away. I went back out to help them file the death claim, and the policy was paid out (I take care of my clients so that the insurance is there when they need it). I hadn't heard from them since. Keeping up with clients was never my strong suit, and then I mostly left the insurance industry, so it certainly wasn't a priority.
The client had left a voicemail asking for some more insurance. The amount they had gotten six years ago just wouldn't cover as much today, and they wanted to top off their policy a bit. So here I was trying to figure out how to rewrite my story of insurance, getting the very rare call from a favorite client saying, "Hey, I want more." I had my answer. The solution was for me to give it another shot with zero pressure.
I wouldn't have the pressure of paying my bills. I wouldn't have the pressure of trying to be the next best agent because I am a legacy of the company (my sister carries all that now). I wouldn't be pressured to make it anything more than what it would be. I could go out and genuinely just meet and serve people with what they need. Any extra income would be great, but I would be in it to rewrite my story and fully help people.
I have always believed in insurance. I know it matters. I know people need it. Between myself, my husband, and my son, we have nine policies, not including anything the Air Force provides or that my parents have taken out on me and my son. We'll always be getting more to meet our current stage of life and prepare for the next. I need to rebuild my belief in myself. That's something I lost, and despite my confidence chasing this dream, I always have a stain on my record that I go back to.
Now, I can change that story. I can write from a new perspective. It's not just a chance to make some extra income, which we all need nowadays. It's a chance to change the way I look at myself. Our confidence is made up of every aspect of our lives. The shortcomings in one area bleed into the strengths of another. I am confident we will find signs if we are looking for signs. I believe in the power of a dream to tell us exactly what we need to hear. Sure, it could all be a coincidence, but I think it's something more powerful than that. I think it's an arrow pointing me one step closer to who I am supposed to be. It's one more tool in my belt to help my biggest dream come true in its fullest form.
