I’m talking about “opportunity”.  I love this word – it conjures up images of hope and possibility.  Many people are in a constant state of waiting for a great opportunity to arrive.  They secretly believe that the perfect opportunity will transform their business (and life) into everything they ever wanted. 
 
Does this sound like you?  If so, I have a secret.  Ready to hear it??  Opportunity never arrives, it’s always present.  Yep, opportunities are everywhere in every size – big, little and just right.  Can that really be true?  Yes, it’s true.  Opportunities, even the ones you have been waiting for, are always present.  There are 2 main reasons that most people don’t jump on a golden opportunity and ride it into manifestation.
 
First, opportunities are usually missed because they come cleverly disguised as unfortunate events or really hard work.  These deceptive disguises make it easy for many people to walk right past them without giving them a second thought. 
 
Second, if people do see the opportunity in all of its glory and possibility, they can easily feel overwhelmed and unprepared to position themselves to take full advantage of the situation. 
 
Either of those scenarios sound familiar?  Since opportunity is always around, let’s talk about ways to recognize it and then position yourself to take full advantage of it.
 
1.  When misfortune or tragedy appear in your life, take a closer look.  The Universal Law of Polarity says that something can’t exist without its opposite also existing at the same time.  You can’t have light without dark, up without down or left without right.  You also can’t have bad without good.  Look though the bad (misfortune) to find the good (opportunity).  It may take some searching, but it’s always there.
 
2.  When you see the opportunity, ask yourself if it is something you want to do, be or have in your business or your life.  When you picture yourself manifesting the opportunity, does it feel life enhancing or deadening?
 
3.  Is this opportunity going to get you closer to your big vision for your business or life?  Does it harmonize with your core values and support your lifestyle priorities?  Does it strengthen your mission in your business or life?  You may want something, but it isn’t going to get you where you want to go or fit into your life right now.
 
4.  Does this opportunity create win/win relationships and outcomes for everyone concerned?  If you act on this will anybody get the short end of the stick?  If you benefit from the opportunity at other people’s expense, it’s laying an unstable foundation on which to build a lasting positive outcome. 
 
5.  What do you need in order to take full advantage of the opportunity?  What is missing in your environment, your skill set, your resources, your strategy or your mindset that is holding you back from stepping into the opportunity?
 
6.  Turn your list of what is missing into a plan to get what you need.  Missing the time to take on something new?  Decide how you’re going delegate tasks to make room in your schedule.  Don’t have the technical skills you need?  Figure out how you’re going to learn them OR how can you find someone who does have them and will help you.  Paralyzed by self doubt and second guessing?  Find someone you trust to talk you through it and help you see the truth about who you really are and how much you are capable of achieving.
 
7.  Take action.  If this really is a golden opportunity that will improve your life and the lives of others, then analyzing, ruminating and talking about it doesn’t get you any closer to bringing it into reality.  Consistent action, no matter how big or small, is what will transform an idea into physical reality.
 
I’d love to hear your suggestions for taking full advantage of the opportunities that are present.