Opportunity. That word standing alone is pretty useless, isn’t it?
The following words often are placed in front of the word Opportunity – looking for, free.
The following words often are placed behind the word Opportunity – needed, wanted.
Those words are pretty useless as well, in my opinion.
We can look for opportunities, we can find opportunities, we can want them and need them. Opportunities may even present themselves and say, “hey, here we are”! Yet what does any of that do for us as business owners? Yes, I found one! Yes, I see one! Yes, I need them! Yes, I absolutely want them! Zero impact on my business is found in all those words and sentences. Zero! Zilch! DeNada!
Many will tell you the power lies in the grab and take! Think about it for a minute. The action words! Grab the Opportunity! Take the Opportunity! Reach for the Opportunity! Seize the Opportunity! If you were nodding your head while reading that affirming yes – I believe we are still wrong.
The power lies in the word ‘use’. Grabbing, taking, reaching for – absolutely needed but holding on to them, staring at them, adding them to a storage closet – still has zero impact on me, my business, and my business growth. I absolutely have to “USE” them.
Now that word USE is where the true power lies! We must use what we find and what is given to us. This is where I think many of us, me included, have dropped the ball on Opportunities and the power they can have. They are powerless unless we use them!
I think of things that I see every single day like zoom meetings for networking, blog writing opportunities and so many free blog spots. Let’s even add email addresses I see every single day of people I don’t know and yet I don’t make the connection happen either. All of these sitting there going un-USED.
I think of things that I see every single day like friends and social media connections needing some help, a referral, a hand, encouragement. These are amazing opportunities and yet they sit there going un-USED.
I think of things that I see every single day like friends tagging me, engaging on my posts, sending me a message or email. These are opportunities for connection, engagement, adding depth to a relationship and yet they sit going un-USED and often undervalued for what they can truly do for us if we but label them OPPORTUNITY.
Don’t merely look for opportunities.
Don’t merely ask for them.
Don’t even just take them.
Use them – that is where the power lies! Use them! That is the verb we need to make opportunities count for us.