Don't let fear hold you back. Life opportunities are waiting for you to seize them. Embrace uncertainty and discover what life has in store. Unleash your potential and explore new job, side hustle, passion project or adventure. The possibilities are endless.

Apply the following to your life and watch opportunities flood your doorstep…

Be Honest With Yourself

No matter how you look at it, lying is not a good habit to carry inside. Especially when it comes to yourself. Knowing what you are capable of as well as what you enjoy should be at the forefront of every decision that comes your way. When it comes to opportunities, not all are created the same, and not all are created for you. Don’t let a paycheck put you on the wrong path. Know what works best for you and use that as your compass when chasing after your dreams.

Tips for the road:

• Remain humble
• Having limits is not the same as limiting yourself
• What other people want for you shouldn’t be included with your dreams
• Painful truth is good pain because it will help you grow
• Look yourself in the eye in the mirror every morning, in silence, without judgement

Be Openminded

Sometimes when going after what we want there are bends in the road that may feel uncomfortable at first. Growth requires going beyond where you have been and this is going to push your limits. Remain openminded so that you don’t chase away what was meant for you. By opening yourself up you will condition your mind to expand, putting you in position to actually excel when opportunity finds you.   

Tips for the road:

• Watch a movie, or read a book you wouldn’t normally read
• Visit store or other establishment you wouldn’t normally visit
• Listen to music you don’t particularly care for
• Strike up a conversation with someone from a different culture

Interpretation

This is perhaps the most important piece of all. Not knowing what to look for when it comes to opportunities is like driving down the highway without knowing which exit to get off on. You could end up on the opposite end of the country or God knows where. More times than not opportunities will present themselves in ways that look nothing like the end goal you had envisioned for yourself. This is because there are phases and levels to everything we do, and that includes opportunity. 

The key to interpretation in this case is to learn as much as you possibly can about what it is you aim to do. When you’re truly passionate and excited about something this part comes pretty easily. Watch as many videos as you can on the subject, read, get training, go to seminars, connect with likeminded people, and the list goes on. When you put yourself in the right space and soak up all there is to have, you will notice a marked difference in your ability to identify every little crumb that comes your way as it relates to your passion.   

Tips for the road:

• Take advantage of YouTube and all the free and amazing content there is to offer
• Spend at least 10 hours a week growing in knowledge regarding your passion
• Study those who are successful at what you wish to do, but NEVER compare yourself. This is your own journey
• Once armed with sufficient knowledge, don’t stop learning and trust your decisions fully

Pay Attention

A mistake you should definitely avoid is not paying attention. No matter how far you feel you’ve come in knowledge and experience with regards to your passion, never become complacent. Sometimes your opportunities may fall on the more complex side when it comes to revealing themselves. They may be surrounded by a certain type of person you don’t particular care for, or a certain type of vibe you typically avoid. Regardless of the situation you find yourself in, remember this… Opportunity is practically everywhere and in everything. It's up to you to spot it and make use of it, although sometimes it will spot you. Regardless of how much of an opportunity magnet you feel you are, never rest on your laurels. In doing so you could miss the biggest one of all.   

Tips for the road:

• Keep a journal of ideas that pop in to your mind (on your phone or written. Some of the biggest ideas can vanish into the wind if you don’t make record of them)
• Don’t limit yourself when it comes to examples to learn from. They will show you the many variations of things to pay attention to when understanding what your opportunities may look like

Preparation

You must never mistake opportunity for charity. Regardless of how well suited you may feel you are for a particular thing, you must uphold your end of the bargain as well. Do what you must when preparing to be great at something. This means missing out on sleep, making time to learn and get practice in, and so on. When your opportunity comes there should be no question whether or not you’re up for the challenge. I’m not saying that you have to be the worlds best, but you must be good enough. Otherwise you will not be able to fully appreciate the opportunity and it will pass you up until you’re truly ready to court her attention. 

Tips for the road:

• Use audiobooks if you have a busy schedule
• Try to find things to do in your downtime that somehow contributes to your growth in your desired area. For instance, if you want to become a famous piano player, find movies or videos on that subject. Not only will it motivate you but you’re bound to encounter a good tip or two for the road

Take Action

At the end of the day it doesn’t really matter how much you want something if you’re not willing to put in the work. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is put one foot in front of the other and literally step out into the world to try something new. If you find yourself paralyzed in fear by the thought of taking action, the very best thing you can do is to simply take action. You will find that the barrier between yourself and taking action was not really a barrier at all. Just unwarranted fear to keep you “safe”, but don’t worry, you will be just fine.

Tips for the road:

• When in doubt, fire out! It’s completely true, any action is better than no action, even if you look silly doing it. Before you break barriers you must first break the ice
• Remember that everyone, no matter how “Great” or “Rich” felt the very same way at one point
• Don’t worry about the opinions of others because usually they’re secretly looking to you to lead the way. Someone who isn’t afraid of stepping out and making mistakes, someone who can show them that it’s okay

Trust Yourself

After you’ve put in the work, taken risks and decided on a direction, you must give yourself some credit. Doesn’t matter if you haven’t made a dime doing what you aim to do. In the end you must be able to believe in yourself and the decisions you make. Not doing so will lead to second guessing and that will dramatically impact the quality of your work. When you put in the hard work of learning and preparing up front, believe and trust that your stake is of great value, and let no one or nothing cause you to question it. 

Tips for the road:

• Learn from your mistakes
• Avoid becoming trigger shy just because you make a mistake or two
• Prepare for what’s to come until there is no room for doubt in your mind about what you are capable of

Final thoughts…

You could probably recall dozens of decisions you’ve made in life that didn’t lead to a favorable outcome. Conversely, you may have plenty of examples that led to something amazing. Whichever is the case, I want you to think about how your actions influenced the outcome of a given situation. Can you see how your actions were at the very center of what produced the result? 

The understanding that you ultimately DO have control over your future will make all the difference. If your mind is situated for failure and plagued with negativity, there’s no way in hell that anything but negative will find you. The old biblical reference that the rich will get richer and the poor will become poorer points to a harsh and delicate reality. What you put into your life will manifest into one way or another, whether good or bad. It doesn’t matter how you start, your decisions and actions will determine how you finish.

The Take Away –

I’ve said it for years to students, employees, family and friends. I’ve been a living experiment, paying extra close attention to any and all details surrounding my successes and failures. The truth of the matter is this, opportunity is everywhere, all the time, and in order to see and take advantage of it, you must situate your mind to do so. Good luck!

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