So, I just wanted to share with you, my fellow borderlines, that I made a drastic career change in October, and I think I found my calling. I am showing apartments in hopes of building a book of business to eventually help people buy and sell homes. Already today a client told me they are renting for one year and then plan to buy. I have found some striking early success and I know my nature and sensitivity has helped bring me to this point.

If you are considering becoming realtor, here are the perks for us borderlines:

**(1)** ***You have to read people well and be a chameleon***. I am a natural empath, although I am working hard on developing my cognitive empathy in therapy, affective empathy is an absolute breeze. I meet people all day every day and being able to read them like a book and mirror them is what is making me have success.

**(2)** ***People pleasing will take you far in sales****.* While I am desperately trying to overcome this in my personal life, when it comes to MONEY, it's easy to bend over backwards and go above and beyond. I am chasing a paycheck, and realtors are a dime a dozen, so my natural gut instincts to do all I can and then some are helping me stand out. And I am ultimately reaping the rewards, whereas in intimate relationships, or friendships, you may people please and expect to get something and not get it. Here I get money.

**(3)** ***I work alone***. I am able to work from home, make any hours I want, avoid the office culture, interpersonal static and drama, I have no boss breathing down my neck, and if I need to, I can just run to my car to cry. I am a highly sensitive person, and I cry at least five times a week if not per day. Maybe over time, with more therapy, I will let go of some of these sensitivities. Until then, I can have as much time as I need and want to recuperate in my car alone. And you know these moods change on a dime and I don't need that much time.

**(4)** ***I get a lot of positive feedback and attention***. 99% of the people I meet and work with are grateful and find me extremely charming. It's a great ego boost. If I meet someone who's a dick, I don't have to work with them. It's about chemistry.

**(5)** ***I am in control of my career and my day***. We all have control issues, and I no longer feel like I am chained to a desk with suicidal thoughts all day long.

**(6)** ***My relationships are short-lived***. While I get my feet wet, I am leasing apartments, so I meet people, work with them a few weeks, mostly over text, and then it's over. I am GREAT at first impressions. It's *sustaining* a relationship that is hard. 

**(7)** ***Being MYSELF is what is making me the most successful.*** This is the biggest one. All the quirks and nuances I hated about myself for so long, the way I talk, the way I say um, talk with my hands, feel stupid when I don't know the right word etc., all these things that I slowly came to accept about myself through therapy, are what people find the most endearing about me. I am FORCED to put myself OUT THERE, no longer able to hide in a cubicle, and people are eating me up. The biggest energy suck for me has been to UNLEARN all the bullshit fakey professional act and turn off my brain and just GO. The less I think about it, the better I am. I  just have to show up and be me.

I have to say that I was able to do this because of building confidence in therapy, in managing my worst BPD traits, losing weight, becoming more comfortable in my own skin through therapy. I also have the support of two partners (poly). 

If you were wondering about a career that would **play to your natural strengths**, even if you are an introvert, look into leasing apartments and/or real estate. 