| The average person gets 630,000 hours (72 | | | | choose to have an attitude or life philosophy that |
| years) to do with them what they will. You can | | | | sees life as an adventure you will tend to |
| spend them watching TV, sleeping, whining, | | | | embrace many of the opportunities that are |
| working, playing, living or some combination of the | | | | offered to you such as; |
| above. | | | | The smile of a stranger who is inviting you into a |
| Opportunities come to everyone but it depends | | | | conversation that neither of you know it's |
| on how you choose to define an opportunity. | | | | potential outcome. |
| It could be an investment, relationship, career or | | | | That unexpected flat tire that forces you to |
| any other type of break, luck or future unknown. | | | | spend some time in a strange car service facility |
| One of my favorite quotes is by Mark Twain | | | | waiting for your tire to be repaired or replaced. |
| when he said that luck is when preparation meets | | | | What do you do with this time? Nothing? Sit and |
| opportunity. | | | | stare out of the window, read four year old |
| What exactly is an opportunity? | | | | magazines or something more creative like taking |
| Is it the chance to begin again? | | | | a walk and visiting a few of the shops or business |
| Is it an unplanned for blessing? | | | | near by? |
| Is it meeting a stranger who is destined to | | | | Or, you can look at your days and life as just |
| become your best friend? | | | | same stuff different day. |
| Is it the result of hard work, patience and | | | | One of the fundamental laws of the Universe is |
| persistence? | | | | the Law of Attraction. Basically it states that we |
| Is it one of many blessings or miracles that cross | | | | bring into our life a reflection of what we are |
| our path regardless of whether we are ready for | | | | attracting whether positive or negative. Therefore |
| them or not? | | | | if you have a positive expectancy you will tend to |
| Or, is it just fate or destiny dropping a special gift | | | | open yourself up to more opportunities than if |
| in your lap and then leaving it up to you whether | | | | you just walk through your days whining and |
| you notice it or not or do something or anything | | | | complaining about how hard life is or how bad |
| with it? | | | | your life is. |
| I know that during my life I have had many | | | | Carl Jung called many of life's so called |
| opportunities that I missed and many that I | | | | opportunities that appear in our lives as well as |
| embraced. | | | | many of the strange coincident's as Synchronicity |
| Here's the problem. How do you know it is in fact | | | | - that all of life is connected with a Universal |
| an opportunity with future good fortune waiting in | | | | Consciousness and that each of our lives are |
| the wings, given your current station in life, | | | | connected in some way. If this is true, and I'm |
| education, career, relationship circumstances or | | | | not saying that it is but all evidence indicates that |
| attitudes? | | | | it is, does that mean that everyone had the same |
| How can we recognize an opportunity when we | | | | opportunity to invest in Microsoft stock when it |
| are stuck in our past, prejudices or an ego | | | | was first offered or was that a privilege or |
| centered life outlook? | | | | opportunity that was limited to just a few who |
| Sure, I wish I had bought some Microsoft stock | | | | chose to take advantage of it? |
| when it first came out. And there was that partial | | | | Someone else purchased the land that I chose to |
| of land I could have purchased years ago really | | | | pass on. Were they smarter than I was? Were |
| cheap that is now worth millions? | | | | they better in tune with the future and it's |
| How can we possibly know when to act and | | | | opportunities? Were they blessed with more luck |
| what to do given so many unknowns and | | | | than me? Did they make the choice to invest in |
| uncertainties? | | | | that property while I chose to do something else |
| Difficult questions, yes, unless you have a | | | | with my money at that time? These are all |
| fundamental spiritual belief that there are no | | | | interesting questions that really no one can |
| accidents, that life comes to us when and how it | | | | answer with any degree of accuracy. |
| is supposed to (not talking about fate here folks) | | | | When it is all said and done we all make our own |
| and that no matter what we do or don't do with | | | | individual choices as to what we will do with our |
| some or any of the opportunities that cross our | | | | time, money, resources and knowledge at any |
| path, sooner or later we will all face many of the | | | | given moment in life. Some of us leave this Earth |
| same challenges, problems and adversity. | | | | with nothing but regrets while others leave with a |
| Here's the key, we will also reap the benefits of | | | | legacy of apparent good luck and good timing. |
| many of the opportunities that we missed or did | | | | The key is to understand and accept that |
| not take advantage of because we will have had | | | | opportunities are not just showered on the few |
| other ones come to us from a variety of | | | | but everyone. All opportunities come in degrees. |
| sources. | | | | In other words, if you are wealthy you may be in |
| Does this mean that the millions I could have | | | | the position to dramatically increase your wealth |
| made if I had invested thousands in Microsoft | | | | with financial opportunities that the masses could |
| stock when it was cheaper would have meant | | | | not take advantage of because of their financial |
| my life would have turned out better? Different | | | | position. If you are extremely good looking or |
| yes, better - yes, no maybe or it depends. | | | | talented you may be offered opportunities for |
| The interesting thing to consider is that | | | | stardom that many of us could only hope for. |
| opportunities are not reserved for the select few. | | | | But in the end, stardom, extreme wealth, power, |
| They are not just for the wealthy, intelligent, | | | | fame or any particular social status will not give |
| savvy or creative thinkers. We are constantly | | | | you inner peace or happiness in and of |
| surrounded with a variety of opportunities some | | | | themselves. These qualities, inner peace and |
| smaller and apparently less important than others | | | | happiness, are in no way related to external |
| and some that could change the course of your | | | | circumstances but to your inner awareness, |
| life if acted upon. | | | | development and healthy consciousness. |
| So, how do you know whether you should act on | | | | A missed opportunity for one person that may |
| one or pass on it? How can you even recognize it | | | | not have been a positive blessing or gift over |
| for what it is? | | | | time may be just that for someone else. Who is |
| First, I believe that every day many opportunities | | | | to say which are the opportunities that someone |
| cross my path. Some could change the course of | | | | should act on or pass on? |
| my life while others the course of my day. If you | | | | |