Nine Keys To Unlock Opportunity
by Ada Porat
In Greek mythology, Kairos was the god of Opportunity and the youngest
son of Zeus. A bronze statue of Kairos depicted him as a youth with winged feet, a long lock of hair hanging down his forehead,
and no hair at all on the back. The inscription beneath it read in part:
"What is thy name?" My name
is Opportunity. "Why hast thou wings on thy feet?" That I may fly swiftly. "Why has thou a great forelock?"
That men may seize me when I am come. "Why are thou bald in back?" That when I go by, none can lay hold of me.
The message of Kairos is clear: Either we grasp hold of Opportunity when it approaches, or it passes us by swiftly
and leaves us nothing by which to detain it.
And every experience in life is indeed an opportunity. Life is a precious
gift that offers us the opportunity to give something back by becoming more. Over the course of life, each one of us is faced
with a continuous series of great opportunities, most of them brilliantly disguised as impossible obstacles. Those obstacles
that appear to be most challenging, offer us opportunities to discover deep resources within ourselves - provided we choose
an appropriate response.
How are you choosing to respond to the impossible situations of your life? Will they become
opportunities for growth and healing, or will you blame others and become less?
The next time you are faced with
an impossible situation, choose to see it as an opportunity for your advancement and take a look at some of the keys that
will help you grasp hold of it before the opportunity passes.
1. Commit. Success starts with a commitment to the
desired outcome. It has very little to do with luck and everything with the commitment to be prepared when opportunity shows
up. The great Roman philosopher Seneca taught that luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
2.
Prepare. One of the best pieces of advice I received from a business mentor early in my career was to be over-prepared and
shoot straight arrows. This advice served me well throughout my career, when I would often face tough business negotiations
without any prior knowledge of which issues may come up. It is far better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one
than to have an opportunity and not be prepared! Thomas Edison was willing to roll up his sleeves and try out every possible
scenario in his experiments to find the solutions that worked. Over the course of his career, he held a world record for 1,093
separate inventions. Edison said that most people miss life's great opportunity because it shows up dressed in overalls
and looks like work!
3. Look For What Works. Sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing that we notice
too late the one that is open. Don't dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies
on moving forward toward finding the answer.
4. Focus. Focus on your potential instead of your limitations. In
the world of energy, whatever we focus on, expands. Keep your consciousness totally focused on the present moment so you can
receive whatever gift, lesson, or delight that moment has to offer. If you've lost focus, just sit down and be still.
Take the idea into your mind and rock it to and fro. Keep some of it and throw some away, until it renews itself. Once it
is renewed, adjust your focus and go for it!
5. Make The Most Of Every Experience. Learn everything you can, anytime
you can, from anyone you can. Stay present in the process so that you remain aware of all the subtle aspects. Own the process
by reviewing what worked and what did not; fine-tune your approach and let go of emotional attachment to the process. When
you do this, you are able to distill the lessons you learn from every experience.
6. Be Grateful. Give thanks for
the very lessons you have learned during the times you have felt most constrained or overwhelmed. Gratitude will help you
stay positive. Time flies by fast, people move in and out of your life, and situations continuously change. Never miss the
opportunity to tell people how much they mean to you or to give thanks for what is going right in your life now. Tomorrow
everything may look different and the opportunity gone.
7. Stay Open To Possibilities. Don't wait for extraordinary
opportunities to come your way. Seize common occasions and make them great! Weakness waits for the golden opportunity that
may never show up; strength takes hold of the moment and turns it into a brilliant opportunity.
8. Be Willing To
Take Risk. Never fear risk. All exploration, all growth is calculated. Without challenge and risk we cannot reach our highest
potential. Only if we are willing to walk over the edge can we experience the true stuff we are made of. It is by risking
going 'too far' that we learn just how far we can go!
9. Kiss Fear Of Failure Goodbye. Life's ups and
downs provide you with opportunities to determine your true values and goals. You discover your values and goals by exploring
and experiencing what they are not - that is not failure; that is learning. Instead of labeling your learning as failure,
think of every experience as a stepping stone to build the life you want. The quicker you release the limiting concepts of
success and failure, the sooner you will be free to grasp onto new opportunities and to produce fabulous results.
The next time Opportunity knocks, may you be ready to grasp it by the forelock and let its winged feet carry your efforts
to full completion!
Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ada Porat
is a holistic health practitioner and life balance coach with extensive international teaching and clinical experience.
She uses body/mind/spirit techniques to help clients develop their full potential.
For more information, visit http://www.AdaPorat.com
or call (602) 283-4628 MST.
