THE OBSTACLES IN YOUR LIFE

 

Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. Keep believing in yourself and your abilities.

Although problems appear to be burdens to us in our lives, they are actually opportunities for growth. In the long run, we really should welcome problems and frustrations for only out of the solutions do we find real growth and happiness.

It’s very hard to put into practice. I know. It’s hard to have a hectic day with two or three major things going wrong and to say to yourself “This is a great chance for me to grow!” Blah!! Now you sound like one of those ‘sunshine’ people who always see the good side of life. Well, you know they are probably right even though most of us would rather not admit it. 

A lot of us even make a life out of avoiding work commitments, stress, almost anything that might “initially” be painful. Have you ever had a job where you worked twice as hard at looking busy as you would’ve if you just actually did something? Sounds funny but I know a lot of folks who have.  Myself included. But after a while, we find ourselves in “No-wheres-ville”, doing nothing with a bunch of other nobodies who are doing nothing too. And before you know it, your life is just a bunch of coulda, woulda, shoulda ...... 

Sooner or later, we all must take the initiative and try to confront the problem. Face a little pain and find out you actually can live through it. It becomes a habit after a while. They say successful people all have one thing in common. They are willing to do what the average person is not. They are willing to take a risk, try to solve a problem or face a difficult decision. And they don’t give in to fear. 

In the book "Attitude is Everything" by Jeff Keller, he states that there are seven ways in which Adversity can serve us, they are:                                                   

1. Adversity gives us perspective. Once you've recovered from a life-threatening illness, a flat tire or a leaky roof doesn't seem  so  troubling anymore. You're able to rise above the petty annoyances of daily living and focus your attention on the truly important things in your life.     

2. Adversity teaches us to be grateful. Through problems and difficulties, especially those which involve loss or deprivation, you develop a deeper  appreciation for many aspects of our life. It's trite but true, you don't usually appreciate something until it's taken away from you. When  you  have no hot water, you suddenly value hot water. Not until you're sick do you cherish good health. The wise person continues to dwell on blessings, even after the period of loss or deprivation  has passed. Remember,   we're always   moving in the direction of our dominant thoughts; therefore, concentrating on what you  have to be grateful for brings even more  good things into your life.  

3. Adversity brings out our hidden potential. After surviving a difficult ordeal or overcoming an obstacle, you emerge emotionally  stronger. Life has tested you and  you were equal to  the task. Then, when the next hurdle appears, you're better  equipped to handle it. Problems and  challenges bring out the best within us we discover abilities we ever knew we possessed. Many of us would never have discovered these talents if life hadn't made us travel over  some bumpy ground. Adversity reveals to you your own strengths and capacities, and beckons you  to develop those qualities even further. 

4. Adversity encourages us to make changes and take action. Most  people cling to  old, familiar patterns regardless of how   boring or painful their lives have  become. It often takes a crisis or a series of difficulties to motivate them to make adjustments. Problems are often life's way of letting you  know that you're off course and need to take corrective action. 

5. Adversity teaches us valuable lessons. Take the example of a failed business venture: The entrepreneur may learn  something that enables him or her to succeed spectacularly on the next venture. 

6. Adversity opens a new  door. A relationship terminates and you go on to a more satisfying relationship. You lose your job and find a better one. In these instances, the "problem" is not a problem at all, but rather an opportunity in disguise. One door in your life has been shut, but there is a better one waiting to be opened.

7. Adversity builds confidence and self-esteem. When you muster all of your courage and determination to overcome  an obstacle, you feel competent and gain confidence. You have a greater feeling of self-worth and you carry these positive feelings into subsequent activities.

Obstacles are the greatest blessings God can give you. They bring out the soul of you. They bring the Infinite Power within you to your help. And anything which acquaints you with the Spirit within you, anything that gives you understanding of the infinite power that lies within you, anything that brings the Holy Spirit into your daily affairs, is worth while no matter what it’s cost.

The Bible states that "when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing." (James 1: 2 - 4)

Although problems appear to be burdens to us in our lives, they are actually opportunities for growth. In the long run, we really should welcome problems and frustrations for only out of the solutions do we find real growth and happiness.

I’ll leave you with this little story I remember from a while ago. In ancient times a King had a boulder placed on a roadway then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the King’s wealthiest merchants came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear but did nothing about removing the stone from the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant put down his load and tried to move the stone. After much pushing and straining he finally succeeded. After he picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse laying on the road where the stone had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who moved the stone from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understood. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one’s condition.

So, the next time you suffer a problem or setback in your life don't get discouraged or give up. Don't let problems cloud your attitude window forever. Clear off that cloudy window. You find, after the dust settles, that you can actually see better than you did before. Just remember the words of Napoleon Hill: "Every adversity carries with it the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit". 

Till the next time

Bruce

 

 

 

Recognizing Your Opportunities

"I was seldom able to see an opportunity until it had ceased to be one" - Mark Twain

“The secret to success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes” - Benjamin Disraeli

You just might be surprised how much opportunity is actually out there when you start to look. When you work on and start to change your perspective, and begin to look at things in a different light or from different angles and listen to different viewpoints, then you're starting to get on the right track to seeing opportunity.

An opportunity is a favorable set of circumstances that creates a need for a new Product, Service or Business. Identifying and capturing new opportunities always requires strategic change and the nature of strategic change always disrupts comfort zones.

What is a comfort zone? First and foremost it is a mental state in which people lose the momentum to pursue a vision, because they have accepted where they are as the best they need to be or do. That is why change is a big deal to people, and is so difficult to achieve. Over the years, I've learned that nothing very interesting or innovative ever emerges from a comfort zone, except more plans to make the comfortable more comfortable.

The pain that accompanies change can be financial, physical, or emotional, but regardless of the type of discomfort created by change, recession and hard economic times demand that you embrace it if you intend to remain competitive and effective.

There are 3 ways to identify an opportunity:

1. Observing Trends

Trends create opportunities for entrepreneurs to pursue. The most important trends are:

• Economic forces.
• Social forces.
• Technological advances.
• Political action and regulatory change.

It’s important to be aware of changes in these areas.

2. Solving a problem

Sometimes identifying opportunities simply involves noticing a problem and finding a way to solve it.

These problems can be pinpointed through observing trends and through more simple means, such as intuition, serendipity, or change.

3. Finding gaps in the market place

A third approach to identifying opportunities is to find a gap in the marketplace.

• A gap in the marketplace is often created when a product or service is needed by a specific group of people but doesn’t represent a large enough market to be of interest to mainstream retailers or manufacturers.

As an entrepreneur for over 20 years, and as the co-founder and shareholder of 12 companies over that time period, I am always looking for opportunities. I look for the opportunity to:

• meet and network with new and interesting people
• start a new business in my target areas of interest
• acquire more investment property
• learn more about something I am interested in
• enjoy life and spend more time with my family
• introduce people to what I do and explore the opportunities that exist in the marketplace
• make more money

There are two ways that most people fail to recognize opportunity. The first way is by not having an open mind towards new ideas on what is possible with regards to being successful and making money. The second reason is needing to know EXACTLY HOW we will achieve our goals. If you want to know every little detail and every step that needs to be taken before making a decision, you sometimes end up in what is known as “analysis paralysis”. When this happens the opportunity before you is usually long gone before you have made a decision on whether you want to take advantage of it or not. According to Dr. Martin Luther King you need to “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase before you take the first step”.

To take advantage of opportunities as they arise you must:

1. Know what you want (this is the hardest part)
2. Make a decision to do something about it
3. When you make a decision, stick with it
4. When there is evidence that your decision is wrong, change it
5. Never look back

So get a vision of what you want your future to look like. Then trust in yourself and your abilities and take a step of faith and take action, no matter what your circumstances, your friends or your worries are telling you.

If you are tempted to give up or get discouraged, remember that the temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed. All success is based on long-term commitment, faith, discipline, attitude and a few stepping stones along the way. You might not like the stone you are on right now, but it’s sure to be one of the stepping stones that lead to great opportunities in the future. In order to succeed you have to start before you are ready.
. 

Today’s the day... seize your opportunity.

P.S. The pictures below show Warren Buffet and I in 1994 at a baseball game in Omaha Nebraska. This was a time when very few people knew who who he was. What a great opportunity to spend a little time with the world's greatest investor.