Personal: Post Real Estate

It has been over a year since I quit my job in real estate, and I still, almost every day, thank God that I don't work in real estate anymore. The primary reason is because I had an awful boss, who gaslit me into thinking I was incompetent, I was worthless, who used my sexuality as a tool ("Don't worry about him showing you're apartment, he's gay, he's harmless"), and could evoke my depression on command. I'm sure if it wasn't for this boss and her enablers, I would've had a more enjoyable time, and within the industry are some excellent people who understand the market's ugliest side but work against it. But I was stuck with The Boss Whose Name Shall Not Be Spoken.

Regardless, from the best and the worst, I learned a lot, some which turned me off of the real estate market entirely, and some which taught me to be a better person. I attempt to recap here:

1. Everyone in real estate lies. Some are half-truths/omissions of the truth, and some are complete deceptions. Regardless, everyone lies. So too does everyone under the sun, however not to someone you are supposed to trust such as a business partner or colleague. 
2. You must be ready at any moment. The emails never stop coming in, whether it's your inbox or someone else's. You must be persistent, you must be pushy, and you must be diligent - otherwise someone else will get the opportunity. There are less opportunities than there are people in the game. 
3. GYST. Not "Get Yourself Tested".... because if your sugar is not together, you are not ready. 
4. Self care. Given the political climate and Cheeto-in-Charge, this is on many tongues, but it is no less important - you must carve out spaces which allow you to replenish that which is spent on anything other than yourself. That includes time, money, and energy. 
5. Overcome the sleepers. If you're on your game, and you see someone sleeping... Don't wake them up, just get ahead quietly. They will wake up, and eventually they will realize you've passed them. But if you pass them quietly, it'll take a while - if at all. If you wake them up as you pass, they'll instantly try to set you back behind them. 
6. Don't trust the people above you. They are people, and if we refer back to point one, we recall that everyone lies. The people above you are more likely to lie than the people standing next to you. You must create a relationship - and, if you are in command, spaces of trust in which transparency are tantamount. If you are in power and you do lie, own it - if we refer back to point one, we recall that everyone lies. A very, very small portion of people own up to their lies, though. Those are the important people. 
7. You can replace "lies" with "makes mistakes" in everything written above and it holds true. If someone makes a mistake, do not be surprised - mistakes happen. You should be critical, however, if they do not own up to it. Please edit for tense when replacing. 

And all of this translates to teaching. As a teacher, I have lied (only once), I have made mistakes, I have been unready (a lot), I have not had my sugar together, I have provided myself with sufficient self care, I have overcome the sleepers, I have been critical of superiors and welcomed my student's criticality of me. These are essential aspects of labor under capitalism in the 21st century that we cannot control immediately. 

I made this post three days after the one year anniversary of my quitting an awful job with an awful boss (that was the day I put in my papers... I kept working until April lol). Since then, I have walked a road which has afforded me personal growth, self-reflection, and spontaneity (and lots of dogs). This road I walk, however, is on the foundation of the lessons I learned in real estate, lessons for which I am very grateful.