Monday Wake Up Call

Monday Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

Father’s Day Good morning! Did you do something special yesterday to celebrate Father’s Day? Father’s Day honors fathers and celebrates fatherhood, paternal bonds and the influence fathers have on society. Dads play such an important role – not just in society, but in the lives of those around them. Even as adults, the influence of a father is ever present.   My father was tough and demanded the best in everything we did. He always said, “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.” At the time, I thought he was too tough. Today I realize that my desire to “get it right the first time” stems from my upbringing, and it has served me well in business. If I was facing discouraging odds, he would say, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” If I was afraid, he would quote Franklin D. Roosevelt’s famous words from his inaugural speech during the Great Depression of the 1930s: “There’s nothing to fear but fear itself.”   He instilled in me the value of working hard. Success, he would tell me, is 10 percent talent and 90 percent hard work. Above all, he loved me unconditionally, and his influence on my childhood has reached far into adulthood.   Something to Think About Our fathers help shape us into the people we become. As a parent, you help shape your own children. Being a father is an awesome responsibility and one that brings great joy!   Weekly Activity  Spend quality one-on-one time with someone special this week – someone who has helped you become the person you are. It can be anyone, even a child.   Words of Wisdom “My father gave me the greatest gift he could ever give another person: he believed in me.” – Jim Valvano “My father always told me, find a job that you love, and you will never work a day in your life.” – Jim Fox “When I was a boy of 14, my dad was so ignorant that I could barely stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much he had learned in 7 years!” – Mark Twain “You don’t raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they will turn out to be heroes, even if just in your own eyes.” – Walter Schirra Sr. “A working definition of fathering might be this: Fathering is the act of guiding a child to behave in ways that lead to the child's becoming a secure child in full, thus increasing his or her chances of being happy and fruitful as a young adult.” – Clyde Edgerton

Five Cost-Saving Features in Energy-Efficient Homes

As the largest locally owned realty firm in Greater Syracuse, John Arquette Properties is determined to find clients the perfect home. In this economy, cost efficiency is key, and energy-efficient homes are trending. Here are some aspects of cost-conscious homes that benefit anyone buying a home.

(1) Roofing Material

The type of roof on a home can either cut or increase costs dramatically. A house should have a cool roof, which means the material is made of a type of reflective material so heat can bounce off and make the home easier to cool, to be truly energy efficient. This is especially cost effective in warmer climates.

(2) Skylights

Sometimes, people who are new to buying a home view skylights as strictly decorative or unnecessarily expensive. However, they can actually be a great way to make your home more energy efficient. Skylights provide direct, natural lighting that will help cut expenses on the power bill, as will their ability to improve ventilation and heating.

(3) Decor Choices

Design choices such as having ceiling fans in each room or the exterior paint color can affect heating and cooling costs. Fans help circulate air and lead to lower power bills. Further, lighter colors on the outside of the home can help reflect heat.

(4) Ventilation & Sealing

Making sure windows and doors are properly sealed, as well as providing proper ventilation in your home, are a few of the many ways to save when buying a home. Well-sealed homes require mechanical ventilation, which prevents mold by bringing in filtered, fresh air. This not only helps with health concerns, but it also saves money by not using natural gas or outdated furnaces.

(5) Proper Insulation

Insulation is, perhaps, the most important way to make a house cost effective. For example, adding extra insulation between walls and not forgetting to insulate the upstairs and attic areas can keep costs down by a tremendous amount. The more insulation, the better and easier it is to heat and cool the entire house.

These practical and effective features of energy-efficient homes are great items to look for in your next house. Contact our offices today and we'll get started on finding the right one for you.

Monday Wake Up Call

Monday Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

All Smiles… Good morning! How was your weekend? What brought you joy this past week? What made you smile? Did you know that smiling has many benefits to your well-being? Consider this: Neurotransmitters called endorphins are released when you smile. Endorphins are responsible for making us feel happy, and they also help lower stress levels. Faking a smile or laugh works as well as the real thing – the brain doesn’t differentiate between real or fake, as it interprets the positioning of the facial muscles in the same way. The more we stimulate our brains to release this chemical, the more often we feel happier and relaxed. Endorphins act as the body’s natural painkiller. For sufferers of chronic pain, laughing and smiling can be very effective in pain management, as can laughing off the pain when you bump an elbow or fall. Laughing expands the lungs, stretches the muscles and stimulates homeostasis. This exercises the body, replenishing the cells from a lungful of oxygen. Smiling is an attractive expression, which is more likely to draw people to you, which is great for salespeople. Smiling makes you appear more approachable. Interaction with others is easier and more enjoyable when smiles and laughs are shared, and these behaviors are contagious, making others feel better too. Something to Think About A happy, positive expression will always serve you well in life. This is particularly true for challenging situations such as stressful real estate transactions. Our clients depend on us to stay cool, calm, collected and positive. A relaxed persona indicates confidence and an ability to cope well in stressful situations. Weekly Activity There are many simple ways to bring more smiles and laughter into your life. This week, brighten your days by doing the following:  Smile and laugh regularly.As I mentioned, your brain doesn’t know the difference between a fake smile and a real smile. Laughing and smiling more often will make you feel better, and you will become more likely to smile and laugh spontaneously. Watch funny films, TV and theater shows. Spend time with friends and family who make you feel happy or who cause you to laugh. Find things to smile and laugh about.

Monday Wake Up Call

Monday Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

JOY Welcome to the beginning of summer! There’s something magical about June for so many people. For students, it’s the end of the school year. For teachers, it’s the end of the school year! Some are planning family vacations, others are graduating, still others are getting married. June is a month of JOY. Joy is an emotion, a feeling… something that happens without us thinking about it. Many people think of joy and happiness as being the same but, in fact, they’re very different. Happiness is an emotion aroused when we buy a new car or get a promotion at work. It’s dependent on our circumstances occurring in accordance with our desires. Joy, however, is an emotion that occurs within us when we develop an appreciation/thankfulness for things such as nature, freedom, relationships with people and faith in something larger than ourselves.   Joy and happiness are both great feelings, but being happy is a result of good circumstances, and we can’t rely on good circumstances all the time. Joy, on the other hand, is an emotion that can be present in our daily lives. It’s something we can work on daily, much like the process of getting physically fit. Writing the three things you are most grateful for in a gratitude journal each night is a great way to practice joy.   Joy is a powerful emotion and the opposite of fear, our second most influential emotion. These two emotions are in constant battle and, when joy loses to fear, we withdraw and forget all that we have to be joyful for. One of my favorite sayings in times of fear is: Faith and fear cannot co-exist, so you must choose one! Look around, and you will see that you have much to be joyful about. Something to Think About Teaching yourself to be joyful is the single greatest thing you can do to enhance your health. Advancing medical technology is teaching us that the human physiology and psyche are affected by negative and positive emotions. Our three primary negative emotions – fear, anger and sadness – have devastating effects on our bodies when experienced in a prolonged state. On the other hand, our two primary positive emotions – joy and excitement – are like medicine to the body. Which do you choose? Weekly Activity Who in your life is joyful? Think of the different people in your life, and make a list of those who seem most joyful. Here are some traits you might see in them: They’re in good health, they value discipline and strong relationships, and they’re appreciative and thankful. Now make a list of those who are negative and fearful. What are their common traits? How are their relationships? How do you feel when you’re around them? Drained? This week, make a conscious decision to spend more time in the company of those who are joyful, and see how you feel. Words of Wisdom “Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” – Greg Anderson   “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” –Albert Einstein   “When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.” – Tecumseh   “We will be more successful in all our endeavors if we can let go of the habit of running all the time, and take little pauses to relax and re-center ourselves. And we'll also have a lot more joy in living.” – Thich Nhat Hanh   “Once you have to start counting calories, it takes away from the joy of eating.” – Mireille Guiliano

Monday Wake up Call

Monday Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

This is one of those fun three-day weekends that we all enjoy. It’s the start of summer fun and BBQs as well as a celebration of family and those who fought and gave their lives in service to our country. At the end of the Civil War, May 30 was established as “Decoration Day” – a day to decorate veterans’ graves with flowers. May 30 may have been chosen because flowers would be in bloom throughout the country by that time. There are many stories to celebrate this holiday, but this one really caused me to stop and reflect on the sacrifices that so many make and have made: In 2010, Marine Corporal Juan Dominguez stepped on an IED while serving in Afghanistan. Dominguez was left a triple amputee, losing both legs and one arm. But that didn't stop him from marrying the love of his life, Alexis. To honor the vet, the town of Temecula, CA, donated all the elements of their dream wedding – an estimated $30,000 worth, including the flowers, the venues, the photographer and the food. But the real icing on the cake? Dominguez was able to walk down the aisle with his beautiful bride in a sunset ceremony. “Did I ever think I was going to get to this point?” Dominguez said. “Yes, yes I did. Because nothing’s changed. I'm a little bit shorter. I lost a couple legs and an arm, but my brain's still here, my heart’s still here.” Check out the video of their story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSpOkCKT0oA Something to Think About It would be so easy to be bitter and angry about such a sacrifice, but Dominguez was filled with joy because he was able to walk down the aisle and marry the girl of his dreams. Our soldiers who serve know the risks when they enlist. How can we show our support? Weekly Activity Do something this week to support the military and the men and women who serve. Words of Wisdom “These fallen heroes represent the character of a nation who has a long history of patriotism and honor – and a nation who has fought many battles to keep our country free from threats of terror.” – Michael N. Castle “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” – Joseph Campbell “This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.” – Elmer Davis “The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.” –Benjamin Disraeli “It doesn't take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.” – H. Norman Schwarzkopf

Monday Wake Up Call:

Monday Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

A Nod to JFK Welcome to Monday, let's make it a fantastic week! This week, we celebrate a man who was a great president, a great soldier and a great person.  That man is John F. Kennedy, born May 29, 1917, in Brookline, Massachusetts.   Shortly after graduating from Harvard, Kennedy joined the U.S. Navy and was assigned to command a patrol torpedo boat in the South Pacific. On August 2, 1943, his boat, PT-109, was rammed by a Japanese warship and split in two. Two sailors died, and Kennedy’s back was badly injured. Hauling another wounded sailor by the strap of his life vest, Kennedy led the survivors to a nearby island, where they were rescued six days later. The incident earned him the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for “extremely heroic conduct” and a Purple Heart for the injuries he suffered. Kennedy went on to serve in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate before becoming the 35th president in 1961. As president, Kennedy faced a number of foreign crises, especially in Cuba and Berlin, but managed to secure achievements such as the Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty and the Alliance for Progress. He also started the Peace Corps and won the Pulitzer Prize in history for his book Profiles in Courage. When Kennedy was elected president, he gave one of the most stirring inaugural speeches in history. In that speech, he said the famous words, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” It was a wake-up call for Americans to take a stand for their freedom and get involved on some level. Kennedy is credited with making Americans feel safe but, at the same time, instilling a deep sense of pride for their country and a willingness to fight to keep its borders safe. In 1962, the United States discovered that the Soviet Union was building secret missile bases in Cuba. Those missiles would be able to strike the U.S. with nuclear bombs. In the coming days, the United States and the Soviet Union came close to nuclear war. The United States quarantined Cuba in order to keep the missiles out. After negotiations, the Soviet Union agreed to dismantle the bases. In return, the United States agreed to never attack Cuba and to remove missiles from Turkey. Lee Harvey Oswald shot Kennedy while riding in a convertible in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963. Almost every American who was 5 or older on that day remembers it clearly. There’s still a lot of speculation around the mystery surrounding his death and why it’s still such a vivid memory in the hearts and minds of so many. But one thing is certain: He was one of the most beloved presidents – a man who worked hard to bring about peace. This week we celebrate his life. Something to Think About What does the phrase, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country” mean to you? Would it have the same meaning if spoken today? Weekly Activity We celebrated Armed Forces Day last week, and next week is Memorial Day. How can you honor those who served, or what can you do “for your country”? Words of Wisdom “A man does what he must – in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures – and that is the basis of all human morality.” – John F. Kennedy “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” ¬– John F. Kennedy “Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind.” – John F. Kennedy “Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.” – John F. Kennedy “Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.” – John F. Kennedy “If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity.” – John F. Kennedy

Monday Wake Up Call

Monday Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

SALUTE TO OUR ARMED FORCES!   Happy Monday! Let's give a special shout out to those who serve to protect our country and those who have served in the past to defend our country as we celebrate Armed Forces Day and pay tribute to the many who serve in the various branches of our military.     On August 31, 1949, United States Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy and Air Force days. The event stemmed from the armed forces' unification under the Department of Defense. The first Armed Forces Day was celebrated on May 20, 1950. The theme for that day was "Teamed for Defense," which expressed the unification of all military forces under one government department.     Parades, open houses, receptions, picnics and air shows are just a few of the events that you might see this week. Who is that special person in your life who has served to protect your rights and way of life? Have you ever sat down with him or her to discuss the military or ask why he or she decided to serve? Ask to hear his or her "story," because everybody has one.     SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT   It would be wonderful to have world peace and eliminate the need for military defenses, but I don't think we'll see that in our lifetime. Because there are wars, and because there are people who would like to take away our liberty and way of life, the world needs those who are willing to serve, protect and defend our country. If that person is you, thank you so much!     WEEKLY ACTIVITY   Write a note to someone - or several people in your life - who serves or has served to protect our country. It can be simple, and it also can be a call just to say thanks. Here's a sample note: Because I'm not in your shoes, I know I will never fully appreciate the sacrifices you make for your family, your friends, our country and me every day. However, I am especially reflective of my gratitude as we celebrate Armed Forces Day. It is because of your sacrifices that I am able to enjoy my freedoms. So with a great degree of sincerity and humility, thank you for all you've done and continue to do for my family, my friends, our country and me. Sincerely, Your Name     WORDS OF WISDOM   "Well, in the first place, military service, they don't call it service for nothing. You are actually serving your country. And it is a worthy and valid vocation." - Rev. Rick Warren     "We must never forget why we have, and why we need, our military. Our armed forces exist solely to ensure our nation is safe, so that each and every one of us can sleep soundly at night, knowing we have 'guardians at the gate.'" - Allen West     "Freedom does not come without a price. We may sometimes take for granted the many liberties we enjoy in America, but they have all been earned through the ultimate sacrifice paid by so many of the members of our armed forces." - Charlie Dent     "We, the People is more than a statement of purpose. It is an acknowledgement of an obligation to each other." - Charlie Pierce     "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." - Ronald Reagan