Opportunity is not always missing.
Sometimes it is standing right in front of us…
and WE are the ones making ourselves hard to reach.
Open the door.
I am of the total belief that opportunity abounds.
Everywhere.
All the time.
Not necessarily in the form we expected…
and certainly not always according to OUR schedule.
That is where the problem starts.
We spend so much time waiting for opportunity to arrive dressed exactly the way we imagined it…
that we miss the one already standing there.
The sending side may be working just fine.
The receiving end?
THAT may need some adjustment.
If our mindset stays limited…
our opportunities can look limited too.
THE ENEMY HAS BEEN SIGHTED…IT IS US
I see people hard set in their ways in all kinds of professions.
Sometimes I speak up.
Sometimes I just watch.
And I keep seeing the same thing.
What they are searching for may be sitting very close…
but familiarity, pride, habit or stubbornness keeps them from seeing it.
The forest gets in the way of the tree.
Or maybe…
the tree is standing there waving at them and they are busy explaining why trees don’t wave.
LOL.
PAUSE FOR CAUSE.
Before saying:
THERE ARE NO OPPORTUNITIES…
ask:
WOULD I RECOGNIZE ONE IF IT DID NOT LOOK LIKE MY PLAN?
I WANTED THIS GUY TO SUCCEED
I talked with a man who was opening a restaurant.
I wanted him to do well.
So I asked questions.
Location?
Customers?
Menu?
Visibility?
Pricing?
Competition?
Why would people come here instead of somewhere else?
I tried pointing out what I believed were some of the success points…
and some of the places where the business might stumble.
His response?
YEAH, YEAH.
I KNOW.
My wife wants it done this way.
Okay.
Good luck.
He dismissed what I said.
No argument from me.
I went home…
and had a very nice dinner.
LOL.
THINGS AREN’T GOING RIGHT
Months later…
things were not going well.
Now he was:
trying promotions,
begging for business,
scratching his head,
trying to understand why the steady customer base was not developing.
Here is the difficult part.
You cannot easily help somebody see something…
when they are committed to NOT seeing it.
Parents understand this beautifully.
LOL.
Sometimes advice arrives early.
People reject it.
Then months later…
life sends the SAME lesson with an invoice attached.
ARE YOU THE OWNER?
I once saw a florist with three large front windows.
Prime opportunity.
But from the street?
Those windows looked almost like a funeral parlor.
Dark.
Undecorated.
Poorly lit.
You could barely tell what kind of business was inside.
Then you walked through the door…
BEAUTIFUL.
Flowers.
Color.
Presentation.
Completely different experience.
So I mentioned it.
Basically:
YOU HAVE A BEAUTIFUL BUSINESS HIDING BEHIND WINDOWS THAT DON’T TELL ANYONE.
The woman was busy.
Annoyed.
I was apparently interfering with her day.
Fine.
Best wishes.
But I remember thinking:
THERE IS BUSINESS LEAKING OUT THROUGH THOSE WINDOWS…
AND YOU DON’T EVEN WANT TO LOOK.
Opportunity sometimes arrives disguised as feedback.
YOUR RECORDING IS COSTING YOU MONEY
Another time…
I called to inquire about purchasing property.
ALL CASH.
The voicemail message was so syrupy sweet…
so manufactured…
so polished…
that it did not sound like a person.
It sounded like somebody selling friendliness.
Then the man returned my call.
Completely different person.
Abrupt.
Closed.
Insulting.
We were not even forty seconds into the conversation.
That was enough.
Thank you.
Good luck.
CLICK.
Why would I voluntarily enter a high-stress escrow with somebody who is already stressful before we even begin?
Too much product available.
I have cash.
You lost me.
Now look at what happened.
Opportunity called HIM.
Literally.
He answered badly.
Opportunity hung up.
LOSE THE BAGGAGE
People say:
I NEED A BREAK.
Fine.
But when the break arrives…
what does it meet?
Someone:
sloppy?
angry?
late?
discourteous?
unreachable?
mumbling?
defensive?
in a hurry?
unable to answer a basic question?
I am not talking about dressing like royalty.
I am talking about becoming approachable.
You do not need perfection.
But if you want connection…
you need to give people somewhere to connect.
Being worn down can keep you down if you let the wear become your public identity.
Lose some baggage.
HELP MAY ALREADY BE NEARBY
I once saw some young people begging for money.
They were filthy, loud and boisterous.
The way they approached strangers came across as threatening.
Now maybe they needed help badly.
I believe they probably did.
But the presentation itself was pushing help AWAY.
That is tragedy.
The need is real.
The method prevents the help.
Sometimes people unknowingly build a wall around the very thing they are asking others to notice.
CAN HELP MAKE ITS WAY TO YOU?
Everybody needs a break eventually.
A helping hand.
Some luck.
Some timing.
Somebody willing to say:
I SEE SOMETHING IN YOU.
I understand that.
I have needed it myself.
But we should also ask:
IF HELP ARRIVED TODAY…
COULD IT GET TO ME?
Would I listen?
Would I answer the phone?
Would I show up?
Would I accept advice?
Would I consider another way?
Would I make myself reachable?
Those questions matter.
MAKE YOURSELF INVITING
Here is where opportunity becomes practical.
Be open.
Be reachable.
Listen.
Ask questions.
Make eye contact.
Answer clearly.
Be honest.
Show sincere effort.
Keep your word.
Show some gratitude.
You do not have to become somebody else.
You do need to remove unnecessary barriers between yourself and the people who may be carrying:
business,
knowledge,
connection,
advice,
employment,
friendship,
or opportunity.
That is not manipulation.
That is simply making access possible.
THE LAWS OF ATTRACTION?
I use that phrase carefully.
I am not saying the Universe operates like a vending machine where you push:
POSITIVE THINKING
and out comes:
MONEY.
LOL.
I mean something much more practical.
People tend to approach what feels:
safe,
open,
competent,
interesting,
honest,
and welcoming.
They tend to pull away from what feels:
hostile,
chaotic,
dishonest,
closed,
or exhausting.
That is not magic.
That is human nature.
So if opportunity were a PERSON…
would it want to sit down with you?
GOOD QUESTION.
OPPORTUNITY DOES NOT ALWAYS LOOK IMPORTANT
This is another problem.
People are waiting for:
THE BIG BREAK.
Meanwhile…
little breaks keep walking past.
A conversation.
A suggestion.
A stranger.
A small job.
An invitation.
A criticism.
A mistake.
A chance to help somebody.
One introduction.
One question.
One customer.
One phone call.
The big thing may be hidden inside the small one.
That is why being present matters.
Sometimes the knock is very quiet.
YOU MAY HAVE TO OPEN THE DOOR FIRST
Opportunity does not always come charging in.
Sometimes it waits.
You have to:
ask,
apply,
introduce yourself,
make the call,
send the message,
show the work,
walk into the room.
That is not chasing desperation.
That is participation.
The door can work from BOTH sides.
Sometimes opportunity knocks.
Sometimes YOU knock.
Either way…
somebody eventually has to open.
RICHIE SPEAKS
Here is one Richie rule:
Do not complain that nobody knocked while your door is bolted shut.
Another:
Opportunity may arrive as advice you did not ask for.
Listen before throwing it away.
And one more:
If opportunity were a person…
make yourself somebody it could sit with for a while.
PEARLS FROM THE BOOKS
From the spirit of Pearls for the Soul:
“Opportunity is easier to recognize when pride, habit and fear stop blocking the view.”
From the spirit of God I AM:
“What has been placed within reach still requires willingness to receive it.”
From the spirit of It Is Finished:
“Release the old way when it has become the very barrier standing between you and the next opening.”
PEARLS INSIGHT
Opportunity is often affected by preparedness.
People increase their chances of benefiting from opportunity when they remain:
attentive,
reachable,
adaptable,
credible,
and willing to learn.
This does not guarantee success.
Circumstances matter.
Timing matters.
Luck matters.
But openness and preparation reduce the chances of accidentally turning away something useful.
PEARLS CONNECTION
This connects directly with WANTING TO RISE, CLIMB AND GET AHEAD…ALL OF US.
Growth usually requires moving toward the opening when it appears.
It also connects with THE ANSWER MAY LIE OUTSIDE YOUR THINKING…WHAT THEN?
Sometimes opportunity arrives through somebody else’s perspective.
And PEOPLE WHO KNOW THEIR BUSINESS…TALK TO THE POINT reminds us that being clear and approachable helps people quickly understand whether they can work with us.
FINAL SAY
Opportunity knocks on its own terms.
Not yours.
It may come:
early,
late,
small,
strange,
inconvenient,
or disguised as criticism.
Listen up.
Do not make yourself impossible to help.
Do not make your business impossible to understand.
Do not make your personality impossible to approach.
Do not reject every suggestion because YOU did not think of it first.
Open a window.
Open a door.
Open your ears.
And once in a while…
open your mind.
Your portion may already be near you.
But if it is not welcomed by:
action,
attitude,
or awareness…
it can pass by unclaimed.
THAT is the tragedy.
So make yourself reachable.
Opportunity may already be walking up the driveway.
— Richie
Pearls for the Soul
when you feed the soul, you feed everything.
https://pearlsforthesoul.com
Been expecting you