Given the open economy, the mobility of jobs, the ecosystem in which we live - we see a big change in the way we look at opportunity. One cannot wait endlessly for that ‘golden opportunity’, but instead work towards creating one.
To 'live' and not merely exist, to add value and follow your dreams, you must be open, hopeful and optimistic. Following are a few cues to help you move in this direction:
1. Opportunity in adversity:
Being able to see the silver lining in a cloud is a great way to remain optimistic. One has nothing to lose while they are feeling down due to a sad moment in their life. Loss of their job, the company shut down or even a simple reason as a disappointment of missing an opportunity to meet a long-lost friend. In all these cases a different outlook to this challenge will help the individual to transcend beyond getting stuck in adversity.
2. Be optimistic of change:
The only constant in this world is 'change'. With tough competition in every walk of life, whether it is a sport, one’s job or a business deal, individuals are constantly competing within the environment.
All things being equal, it boils down to how fast can one accept change? How fast can one change? And lastly, how fast can they can become agents of change.
3. Think out of the box:
Thinking differently and out of the ordinary will help in being positive and optimistic. Even in times of anguish, the world would try to help you to tide over your worry by trying to be distracting. They would try to divert your thinking. Similarly, we should encourage our thinking to be different by challenging ourselves to be a ‘face’ in the crowd and not just one in the crowd.
4. Try to be a risk taker:
A stock broker friend once told me ‘show me a man who hasn’t taken a risk and I’ll show you that he hasn’t made it big’. This is often true when it comes to being stuck in a rut when life would seem boring or filled with problems that can overwhelm you. Being a risk taker gives you many benefits - early mover advantage, being ahead of the curve and most of all – great experience if nothing else prevails. Be it calculated risks or just treading through untrodden paths could well be the best way of creating an opportunity.
One of the best examples I have witnessed is of MS Dhoni, a great if not the greatest wicket keeper the world has ever seen in the game of cricket. He revolutionized the way run-outs could be executed by a simple and yet impactful way of running out a batsman. Conventional run-outs would entail the fielder or wicket keeper to stand behind the stumps and knock the stumps from behind but Dhoni being the greatest thinker cricket has ever witnessed, changed it by standing in front of the stumps.
In short, he never waited for the dying ball to land into his gloves but instead, he met the ball ahead and swiftly pulled it towards the stumps and whipped the bails off - a perfect example!!
Don’t wait…create!!
