Throughout his 25-year real estate career, Richard Ruvin has always taken pride in being the calmest guy in the room – even in high-stress situations.
But somewhere along the way, Ruvin, who is lead partner at the Falk Ruvin Gallagher Team of Keller Williams Realty, found himself on an emotional roller coaster with clients who were buying and selling homes.
“Not every move is a happy move or a move by choice,” he said. “I’d have one meeting with somebody who’s laughing and celebrating their transitions, and the next person would be crying, and the next person would be screaming, and the next person would be so thrilled, and I was really struggling with those ups and downs, even though you couldn’t tell on the outside.”
That all changed when Ruvin tried transcendental meditation. The technique, popular among celebrities and high-profile business execs, uses mantras to calm the mind and relieve stress. Unlike other forms of meditation, TM isn’t guided by an app or music and it doesn’t focus on deep breaths.
Ruvin started by doing sessions with local certified TM teacher Bob Rabinoff, and after a couple months of meditating 20 minutes twice a day, Ruvin noticed a difference. He had the same level of empathy for his clients, without the emotional roller coaster.
“I had a sense of equanimity, an evenness about me that I really liked, and for the first time in my working life, my inside matched my calm, easy-going demeanor on the outside,” he said.
Three years later, Ruvin still bookends a typical day with 20 minutes of TM, making time to sit quietly and “just be” first thing in the morning and before going to bed. Ruvin believes he’s happier and healthier – and less judgmental of himself and others – because he’s learned how to let go of stress and negative emotions.
The habit has also inspired him to trade goals for intentions, focusing less on what he wants to accomplish at work and more on what he wants to be. Ruvin encourages his team to adopt a similar mindset and redefine what they do “not by the wins and losses, but by the effort and the care, kindness and generosity.”
