| Many people are discouraged with the lack of | | | | opportunities that present themselves? How about |
| opportunities in the current economic climate. They see | | | | educational opportunities? |
| their net worth evaporating, worry about their job and | | | | Horse trainers often use "blinders" to help train the |
| career; their house may be in jeopardy, their future is | | | | animals and keep them focused. No one will put |
| uncertain. However bleak the outlook may seem, there | | | | blinders on you, except yourself. Self imposed blinders, |
| are always opportunities. Opportunities abound. Our | | | | or "tunnel vision" will not only restrict your vision, in |
| problem is to: 1) Recognize them, and 2) Exploit them. | | | | terms of the view, but your life in terms of inability to |
| Recognizing Opportunities | | | | see the opportunities that are out there. |
| It's important to look at the world with "fresh eyes." | | | | Think like a child or a newcomer and you will see |
| Many times we don't see the opportunities that | | | | things you never noticed before. |
| surround us. There's a book called "Acres of | | | | Exploiting Opportunities |
| Diamonds" (Conwell, Richard, pub. Arc Manor, 2008), | | | | Once you have recognized an opportunity, you must |
| and the point of the story is that the individual is | | | | immediately record it (i.e., write it down) then focus on |
| seeking fortune far and wide, while riches are in | | | | it, develop it and create a plan to exploit it. Missed |
| abundance in his own backyard! | | | | opportunities are legendary. We have all committed |
| A child sees with "fresh eyes." Everything is new and | | | | this mistake. |
| wondrous. The child explores, seeks, enjoys, and finds | | | | In a land of opportunity, there are always more that |
| excitement and stimulation in everything around him. | | | | can possibly be recognized, and/or taken advantage |
| A newcomer, for example, a recent immigrant to this | | | | of. Some of these opportunities will be life-changing. It's |
| country, sees opportunities that many of us who have | | | | your task to find them and do something about them. |
| lived here all of our lives cannot. They too are seeing | | | | Copyright ©, 2009, Dr. Ben A. Carlsen, MBA. All |
| with fresh eyes. | | | | Rights Reserved Worldwide for all Media. You may |
| It's human behavior to ignore extraneous stimuli. | | | | reprint this article in your ezine, newsletter, newspaper, |
| Something can be "right in front of our nose" and not | | | | magazine, website, etc. as long as you leave all of the |
| be recognized. Look around you; is there anything that | | | | links active, do not edit the article in any way, leave my |
| could be done differently or better? Are there any | | | | name and bio box intact, and you follow all of the |
| products or services that aren't available, but would | | | | EzineArticles Terms of Service for Publishers. |
| make your life better? Are there investment | | | | |