Wednesday, December 1, 2004

Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.

As homo sapiens go, we seem to have survived over the centuries through our three forms of sight: hindsight, insight and foresight. The unfortunate aspect is that we tend to use those sights in that order. As empirical beings, we have relied very little on foresight and have remained comfortable focusing on present factual information and historical recount. Perhaps this is why documentaries and biographies are so popular? And although insight has received much more recognition (i.e. psychology, sociology,etc.) in recent decades, there still seems to be a void in the active pursuit of personal insight by probably a large percentage of the population. So that leaves hindsight. It's that quick glance over the shoulder to see if anything is catching up to us or that momentary pause to either regale a past success or regret a past mistake. Either way, there is very little change that can occur from hindsight unless we use it to aid our insight...

Perhaps this is why opportunities always look bigger going than coming? It's that deep resonant sound that a train whistle makes once it passes us that seems to say, "Uh-oooooooooooooh! (You missed it)" And as the popular quote states, "Opportunities often times come disguised as problems or obstacles." It's no wonder we miss so many of the golden gems. We find ourselves looking back and so focused on "the one that got away" that we don't see the one that is just about to hit us on the forehead like a mosquito to a windshield.

So how can you see that great train of golden opportunity coming from a distance? Here's a few tell-tale signs:

• The opportunity that is about to present itself is one that is suited to your abilities and talents.
• The opportunity that is about to present itself is one that will challenge/advance your abilities and talents.
• The thought of involving yourself in the opportunity that is about to present itself leaves you not feeling unethical, immoral or unwise; it just leaves you feeling uneasy with anxiousness.
• The opportunity that is about to present itself rarely - emphasis on rarely - come wrapped looking as "an offer you can't refuse" or one that is "too good to be true."
• The opportunity that is about to present itself contains an element that serves the greater good.
• The opportunity that is about to present itself may very well be disguised but remains, in some way, connected with that personal dream/passion that you hold dear.
• And finally, the opportunity that is about to present itself usually is stealth and subtle - which means you need to be using your insight and foresight to see it coming. 90% of the pitches hit in baseball are those that we have our eyes open to see coming.

Opportunities always look bigger going than coming. Often times it's because by the time we see that golden opportunity, it has already run us over, we're lying on our back and watching it roll away.