Don’t Be A Richard

I don’t even want to go back and look. I don’t want to see the review because it stings.

In 2023, my wife and I took a little mother-in-law apartment and turned it into an AirBNB. It was built in 1937 and we have original blueprints and photos, which is impossibly cool!

We’ve had many guests who have enjoyed the little house. But one didn’t. I’m not exactly sure what his review said, but it said something like, “The door sticks.” And because the door stuck, he gave us a 4 star rating. And because of the 4-star rating, the algorithm demoted that listing. And because the listing was demoted, we lost quite a bit of income that month.

His name was Richard and he didn’t see the dozens (maybe hundreds) of things that worked correctly, he just focused on the door. “The door sticks.” (Yes, the door does stick! The house was built in 1937. The house is almost one hundred. Give it a break!)

How many days do I dwell on what I do not have? Days that I can’t look at the paint, new HVAC, new plumbing, new furniture, custom artwork, designated parking spots, and new bathroom.

One of the toughest verses for me in the Bible is “Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Before you pray in complaint about the sticking door, look at all the other things that have been given to you. Be the you who is insanely grateful for the 100 things that are going right in your life. Yeah, the door sticks. But don’t be a Richard.

(I asked AI to generate a Richard for me and this is what it came up with.)