Hidden Opportunity

It’s funny how the smallest of incidences can stop you in your tracks. But it is these moments that humble us and remind us that we only have so much control over the direction of our lives. I recently received an e-mail from a gentleman who told me about his frustrations in his print business. He mentioned how he had everything carefully planned out, that he always strived to do everything right. As he was going the extra mile and pouring his heart and soul into his work, his business was failing and he was struggling to make ends meet.

I am sure he is not alone out there. Many are fighting a seemingly endless battle. All the door-knocking, telephone dialing and relationship building that we address in these pages fail to pull anyone out ahead of the pack—or so it appears. Sometimes, planning can be our own demise. We believe we have done the work and the fruits of our labors should come to us. Wouldn’t it be nice if that was always the way it worked? Regardless, the glass doesn’t have to be half empty because opportunity can come to us in unforeseen ways that we never could have planned for. And what seems like a failure actually can be a victory.

There are too many unknowns for each one of us. So many factors go into each day and any one of those moments can throw a wrench in even the best laid plans. My mother always told me to hang in there, never let anything drag you down for too long, because everything is always changing and every day is a new day. I found that to be sound advice. Eventually you will shake the right hand, whether it be through a business call, at the gym or at your kid’s school—you never know who you will encounter. However, if you stop the hand-shaking, door-knocking and networking, you miss that golden opportunity to meet that one person who could make all the difference in the world.