Opportunity Awaits

For many years throughout my career, I’ve had the honest ongoing privilege of working alongside and with numerous brilliant and bright people while working in and developing many amazingly creative, logistical and management driven ideas.  Based upon the wonderful relationships and accomplishments I’ve been blessed to be a part of (of course, this is all relevant), there are those who’ve wondered how I’ve gotten where I am, how I get to do all the wonderful things I do, and how I find myself “rubbing shoulders” with some who are practically idolized by others.  I will be honest, it’s been a long road; of which, I’m not remotely ready to see the end of yet.  How have I been able to achieve all that I have in the span of time that I have been doing it (I consider myself a late-bloomer in many respects)?!  The answer is in one simple word: Opportunity.  And, if I were to write a book, which has been mentioned to me more than once, this is a subject I believe I would love to tackle and is a subject that could be clarified and exposed, which would benefit countless individuals.  But, let me give some brief thoughts on it here…

There is an old cliche’ that says opportunity knocks.  Well, I couldn’t disagree more!  Not everyone has the knack of landing a multimillion dollar real estate deal, writing a best seller, connecting with a major Head of State, going into space, getting the lead in the next blockbuster film, developing the site that dwarfs Google, having a #1 hit song on iTunes, etc., but we all have sincere desires (or at least you should) to make things better for our families, work place, church, civic organizations, and yourself (personal improvement/enrichment), etc.  This is where opportunity comes in.  What I have learned is there is opportunity all around, but you can’t wait for it to “knock on your door”.  You have to look all around for it, because I believe its not looking all around for you — it’s not handed to you on a silver platter.

“Taking initiative does not mean being pushy, obnoxious, or aggressive.  It does mean recognizing our responsibility to make things happen.  Many people wait for something to happen or someone to take care of them.  But people who end up with the good jobs are the proactive ones who are solutions to problems, not problems themselves, who seize the initiative to do whatever is necessary, consistent with correct principles, to get the job done.” ~Stephen R. Covey, THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE

I have found I’m actually an entrepreneur at heart.  Meaning, I have trained myself to subconsciously keep my eyes and ears open for those things that keep my attention or for those ideas that come to mind that I can’t seem to get rid of.  Being the never-ending student (formal education, avid reader, following of particular tweets and facebook pages, and the asking of questions to those I respect), I have developed a sensitivity for the smallest creative detail to the largest mind-blowing idea — and YOU CAN TOO!

Here are some ways that might help you recognize the opportunities around you, as well as developing an eye/ear for them [in no particular order]:

1. QUEST — keeping a keen eye for opportunities that feed your ideal.  What drives you, what wakes you up in the morning, what excites you?!  These are the areas you should be mindful of, in particular.
2. SENSITIVITY — realizing an opportunity you might not have considered.  Ponder on the “outside the box” ideas.  They’re not what everyone (or even yourself) would expect.
3. CONSIDERATION — is this right for me?  Based on your family and career path, some opportunities might not suit you well personally.  If so, don’t by-pass it — make sure you forward it over to a colleague it might fit.
4. PURPOSE — is the basis for this idea something that’s needed?  If so, if you’re recognizing it, then it’s an opportunity in waiting.
5. SEASON — depending on what it is, some opportunities are only recognized (and pertinent) at certain phases of life.  You might have missed a season, but chances are a similar type opportunity might be around the bend waiting on you to grab hold to it the next time around.
6. DURATION — some opportunities are only a day or two of your life, yet some can take years to come into fruition.  If its worth the payoff, then its probably worth the effort.  Don’t allow the time it takes to see the success confuse you into not pursuing with the idea.  Time will pass either way — you might as well be working toward a future goal(s).
7. NETWORKING — very, very crucial.  Even before the days of social media, smart people knew to surround themselves with people with like passions and resources.  Without networking, many of the great ideas that have come to pass in our history might not have occurred.  Seldom is there a single person who contains all of the pieces to a opportunistic puzzle.  Some opportunities might take several people/organizations to properly experience the success it was envisioned to achieve.
8. EDUCATION — you can only work with the knowledge you have.  Expose yourself to higher education, books, blogs, sites, tweets, events, etc. that can stretch your mind to realize the brilliant opportunities that await you.

So, the fact of being successful isn’t one big thing…it’s a mixture of many little things.  And as they say, it’s all the little things that make a lot.  Be encouraged to not be settled in your safe routine of life.  The results of acted-upon opportunities is much more than financial gain.  When you improve yourself and the lives of others, well, everyone wins!  Stretch yourself to recognize the means to make life better for everyone around.  Opportunities…they don’t knock on your door, but they change lives!

“Opportunity does not knock, it presents itself when you beat down the door.” ~Kyle Chandler