Out visiting motels recently I came across a couple who made me reflect on how your attitude determines the type of life you have. This couple is in their late 60s early 70s and is running a motel. They purchased the motel as an investment but then needed to go back to the motel which had been seriously run down and basically build the business up from scratch. This included not only building the business but also refurbishing the motel.
Two years on they have a lovely 4 star complex with a business in the growth stage. Their comments were that they didn’t particularly want to be working at their age but that they are enjoying the challenge and are warm with a roof over their head and food on the table so have lots to be grateful for. There welcoming smiles on our arrival certainly didn’t show any signs of not particularly wanting to be there.
Conversely another motel had a couple whose motel was very well kept and immaculately presented. The conversation at this motel however was not punctuated by laughter and consisted mainly of the problems they perceived they were having in life. The welcoming smiles were not broad and open as in the first case and the couple didn’t appear to be at all happy with their lot in life.
In my opinion both couples were in a similar situation but the first ones looked at life differently and so were happier within themselves. We all find ourselves at various stages in our life with things which we are not particularly content with but it is our attitude which makes the difference. Thinking positive makes us live positive. In order to try and achieve this a good task to do is have a GFT list. This is a Grateful For Today list. Each day write down what you can be grateful for today and take the positive things from life. I am certain it is better to live life with a positive attitude than get bogged down with the things which don’t go quite as well as you would like.
June 24 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments »
Only the second time on a golf course in my life the Log of Wood motel golf tournament was certainly a day to remember. John Griffin Realty were sponsors for the event and so John and I attended the day. Neither of us are golf players although John did play for a few years in his younger days. Long long ago. I on the other hand have only been on a golf course once in my life when I followed my father in law and husband around for a game and was absolutely bored stiff. This did nothing to encourage me to participate further in the game.
Anyway on the tournament day we dully turned up and it was decided that John and Murray Woofe from PIC insurance would drive the drinks cart around and replenish the poor thirsty moteliers on their rounds. So what was to happen to me? I’ll just walk around I said, but, oh no, John in his wisdom decided that it would be better for me to take a cart around. I knew Anne from Boundary Court in Hamilton was also walking the course so thought I could catch her up and enjoy her company.
After a quick lesson in how to drive my cart I said well where can I drive. Anywhere you want but just keep of the greens John said as he and Murray disappeared in their cart. Ok off I crept down the gravel path until it suddenly ended about 10 metres away, I looked out at the golf course, green trees, green gardens and green lawns. How on earth do I keep off the green I thought it’s all green to me. Oh well I’ll just follow the tyre marks of other carts and stick by the trees no-one will be playing in the trees.
As I crawled around the course on this cart I started to get a bit more confidence and was even going faster than the walkers by this stage. I had trouble finding Anne and was just whizzing along at my great speed when I decided to go around the bottom of this hill which was quite long grass and a bit of a gully so I thought oh yes that will be okay. However!!!! Just as I was halfway across I turned and glanced to the left and noticed a golfer poised above a ball. Another couple of golfers standing around him and all of them watching me intently. When the golfer who luckily I recognized as Robert from Rosetown waved me on I began to think maybe I was in the wrong place. Getting to the end of the gully and travelling up the hill I was greeted by John Griffin who quickly said I think you better follow us now. This confirmed I had gone somewhere I wasn’t supposed to.
Following John and Murray and wondering why they stopped now and then and just seemed to sit still for no reason. We arrived at a hole and I realized Anne was there. AANNE I called out. Everyone turned and looked at me much to my surprise and almost seemed to glare. No Kathie you have to be quiet when they are playing John whispered in my ear. Oh gosh another muck up. Still I’ve only upset about 8 moteliers so far. Good relationship building from this sponsorship so far!!!!
I snuck over to Anne and suggested she came on the cart with me. Great all sorted and back to the cart to be greeted by ” Your phone has just rung it should be on silent you know”
Well as you can guess so far the day has not endeared me any closer to the game of golf. You can’t drive where you want, you can’t make noise and you can’t have your phone on doesn’t sound like fun to me.
In all fairness though things weren’t quite so bad after that it certainly helped to have a navigator. I would be driving along gazing across the expanse of the golf course when I would hear a gasp from Anne at my side and looking down to where I was driving I would see a large mud hole which I would have to evade very quickly with Anne hanging on tightly. I’m not sure if her day was getting better or worse she seemed a bit quiet so it was hard to tell.
As the day went on I became a much more confident driver with Anne and I attempting bigger and steeper hills on our drinks delivery rounds. Of course even the cart race between us and the John Griffin Murray Woofe cart was won by the ladies. Doesn’t take long to learn to drive those carts. Hope the green keeper wasn’t too busy afterwards fixing the skid marks.
The end of the day was fantastic with a get together in the club rooms, food, drinks and the prize presentations. As sponsors we got to do the prize presentation and I of course got to kiss the recipients. Now this ending to my day was very enjoyable and almost enough to make me consider playing golf. I was however told that the kissing at the end was not standard and this has made me hesitate to rush out and book golf lessons.
October 20 2009 | Articles for current moteliers and Entering the Motel Industry and Uncategorized | 1 Comment »