The famous artist Henry Hartman once said, “Success always comes when preparation meets opportunities”. Webster’s defines opportunities as, “a good chance for progress”. Dictionary.com defines it as, “a situation or condition favorable for attainment of a goal”, or “a good position, chance, or prospect, as for advancement or success.”
Notice the repetition of the words good, chance, progress and success in these definitions. It seems we are all given opportunities in life, and most only last for a short time. If we don’t act when it arises, we may never have the chance again.
The opportunity may be a chance to go to a good college, improve a skill, make a great investment decision, fall into new helpful routines, or even advance our careers. Sometimes we fail to act because we assume the opportunity will present itself again. BUT, remember the old adages – Opportunity only knocks once, and When we assume, we make an ass out of u and me.
Its Possible to Make Opportunities:
Most talk about making the most out of opportunities. But I say – It’s possible to Make Opportunities. Sometimes, the more we hustle the more chances.
Opportunities sometimes present themselves not by chance, but because of our actions or even inaction. We do this not by sitting around waiting for opportunities, but by making them happen through dedication, hard work and striving towards something better. As Alexander Graham Bell once said, “When one door closes, another opens, but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.”
If you want to increase your chance of advancing your exposure to opportunity, try going beyond the status quo and try something different.
One of the little secrets about opportunity is that our actions can increase our opportunities.
Make Opportunities: 12 Tips
Volunteer at your local church, hospital, non-profit, school etc.- Join a civic group like i.e. Rotary Club, J.C’s, 4-H, lions, etc.
- Attend a seminar or two or three.
- Make an effort to talk to strangers, or set some goals to network more.
- Research new ways to invest money or use your talents.
- Go to a networking group that acquaintance keeps telling you about.
- Call an old friend and discuss ideas or make some new friends.
- Keep learning, go back to school or attend night classes, learn a new skill, set times for personal evaluation and reflection.
- Spend time with your parents, siblings and other family members.
- Join a church, sing in a choir, attend a PTA event, talk to strangers, read new magazines, join a karate class, gym or your local YMCA.
- Establish Purpose for your life by figuring out who you are and why you’re here
- Try some new organization ideas for your life. Sometimes the mess of our life will inhibit us from seeing opportunity when they arise.
It depends on you.
The secret is to get out there, start making new connections, and obtaining new knowledge. Make an effort to do things you have not done before, and making plans to meet some new people. You might be surprised how many opportunities arise when you make an effort.
The tough part is knowing when to make a decision and jump into an opportunity. There is no secret formula for success in this area. Sometimes we just have to follow our instincts, deal with our fear of failure, and try to make an “educated guess”.
Some opportunities require us to stop doing something we love or even make big changes in our lives. It’s important to remember that nearly all-great accomplishments are arrived at when we’re willing to make great sacrifices. This does not mean we have to neglect our families or health, but outside of these two areas nearly everything else is negotiable.
Please, Please, Please, don’t let fear stop you from responding to an opportunity. If we start doing things outside our normal activities, maybe a new opportunity will present itself along the way. So get going and start taking action, you might find you make your own opportunities.
For business expansion opportunities check out: Small Business Sixth Step