Seize Your Opportunity

I believe that opportunity is everywhere at all times.

Every moment presents opportunity to grow and create.

What do you want to create? More prosperity? Stronger, healthier relationships? New business?

It’s all right here, right now.

Yet very often people don’t see the opportunities right in front of them.

Why not?

The sly disguises of opportunity.

In Think And Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill writes about the “Sly Disguises of Opportunity.”

Very often, the biggest and best opportunities are disguised in the form of “misfortune, or temporary defeat.” “Perhaps this is why so many fail to recognize opportunity.” Hill writes.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve seen the sly disguises of opportunity show up in spades.

For example, a business owner is facing the loss of a big chunk of revenue, as her biggest client’s business is declining due to mismanagement. She sees the writing on the wall and wants to fire this client. What does she do now?

Option 1: Wallow in despair. Do nothing.

Option 2: Believe that opportunity is present, right now. Take action.

Fortunately, she chose option 2. Within a few days, she secured a new client that replaces a chunk of the revenue in the short term and provides a long-term growth path.

Fortunate for her — AND for her new client.

Why? Because YOUR PROBLEM is someone else’s SOLUTION.

The new client had an immediate need for a solution to a set of problems, which she has the capability to solve.

That’s how opportunity works. It shows up THROUGH PEOPLE, and is secured through CREATIVE SERVICE.

First, you must SEE the opportunity. Then you must SEIZE YOUR OPPORTUNITY.

How do you see opportunity, especially when your mind is telling you that it is not there?

Faith. You must have and/or develop a core outlook on life that opportunity is always present and act with complete conviction that opportunity is always present.

So, even when things are “not going well” (however you make that judgment), you must shift your perspective by focusing on the FACT that opportunity is present in every situation.

Practically speaking, you can ask this question:

What is the opportunity here, right now?

Because it is always here.

Notice the framing of the question. It’s not – “Is there an opportunity here?” The question is “What is the opportunity here?” The first question allows for the possibility that there is not an opportunity. Which is not true.

When you ask “What is the opportunity here, right now?” — your mind must seek the answer.

Wondering what your opportunity is? You simply have to make a decision to see it.

Then once you see it, you must decide to SEIZE IT.

Notice that SEIZE is an action verb. It won’t just fall into your lap. You have to take action.