There is no way for you to ever know how often you are blind to opportunities because you dont recognize them.
So its really important that you consciously commit to being open to opportunities showing up from unexpected sources and in unconventional ways. Im telling you ... this is huge.
Dont limit yourself by putting your goals and visions in a box. Most people do this by only accepting opportunity if it looks exactly the way you expected. Yes, be specific about what you want, but not attached to the package it shows up in or who delivers it.
Here are two of the most important factors in creating opportunities:
- Hold the belief the Universe is a place of unlimited abundance
- Know God always has a much bigger dream for you than what you have for yourself
By being too attached to the outcome, you limit the true abundance available to you. I speak from painful personal experience on this, so I know that sometimes its more easily said than done.
I get back on track by reminding myself of this by using the simple phrase, This or something better. The better is usually something totally beyond my conception.
Ill give you a personal example of how being open gave me an opportunity that others said no to, having no way of knowing what the implications were.
Several years ago I applied for a protg program I really wanted to be a part of. There were hundreds of people vying for ten openings. I filled out a lengthy application and waited to hear from the approval committee.When I was accepted, I was shocked and surprised to find it wasnt for my current project, which I loved dearly like it was my first child. It was for something on the application I hadnt even given a second thought to. I was just answering all the questions. Little did I know this other business expertise was, and still is, in high demand in the marketplace and they wanted me to develop a product around it. This knowledge is so natural to me, its like breathing. I would have never imagined it could potentially make me a millionaire!I would have totally missed the opportunity to provide a great service to people if I was so focused on my current project I wasnt open to looking in another direction. And in this case it meant looking backward to my old career of 25 years and putting my knowledge into a program other people could use to perfect their sales and communication skills.I understood being flexible and open to unexpected opportunities showing up looking a little or a lot different than expected. I was equally shocked to find many times, someone given this opportunity says no because theyre so invested in what it should look like, they convince themselves this isnt it. These are the same people who sit around wondering why they have such bad luck!
Opportunities for greatness require being unattached to the outcome and trusting that there is a bigger plan than what you can see in front of you right now. This also brings up another fact. Many times you dont see your own special talents clearly because to you they are simply a part of who you are. I know as a mentor, I see more in my clients than they see in themselves because Ive been where they are and I know whats possible down the road.If you ask successful people if they are leading the life of their dreams, what do you think their answer is? Yes, of course!About the Author:Lynn Pierce, known as the Success Architect, founded the annual Empowered Womens Business Summit. She is the author of, Breakthrough to Success; 19 Keys to Mastering Every Area of Your Life. Her current book in progress, The Soul of the Career Woman; How to Reclaim Your Life, Reawaken Your Soul Without Giving Up the Cash, will be available late 2010.
