Jaime Gonzalez

President El Paso Association of Builders

I find myself pondering what to write in this first message to you . Should I write about the madness that took over all of our lives since the pandemic ? Should I write about the uncertainty of the market we are currently in ? Or the rollercoaster that interest rates have been on ? Should I write about the Political circus that seems to be never ending ? Maybe an exercise on the power of the New Year , starting over , new goals and the value of reflection . I could write about the challenges that lay ahead as we begin to settle into our New Normal ( which to me , feels a lot like our old normal ). I feel the need to provide you with a tasty morsel of industry insight or glass half full inspiration .

As my mind raced through the plethora of possible subjects , I realized one simple truth . I am not the expert in any of these subjects . There are many experts out there that spend countless hours analyzing and studying every different angle , variable , trend and what not of their area or matter of choice . And I , as I ’ m sure many of you , read their latest forecasts , projections , quotes and recommendations . Instead , I decided to share with you a phrase that I sent a dear friend of mine a few days ago . Life is great !!! Yes , life is Nerve-racking , stressful , pain in the rear and exhausting . But all in all , Great !! The challenges we face will never end , things will never be

good enough , we will never have enough money or time . And the hardest one to accept , there will always be someone better looking ! With all the challenges we face , we are still lucky , we are blessed . We live in the best country in the world , we have family , we have friends . We live in an era of constant innovation and extreme comfort . Life is what we make of it and the outside noise is the spice that keeps it interesting . I wish you all the best this year . I look forward to seeing , working with and meeting you . Life is great ! If you don ’ t believe me , consider the alternative .