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John Maxwell on Opportunity
John Maxwell has just started a daily video message which I've signed up for called "A Minute with Maxwell". (It's one of the very few regular messages I'm actually very glad to receive.)
Anyway, I've been getting these for a few days and they're VERY good -- and of course, applicable to business. He's been speaking on a different word each day and a recent word was "opportunity." It's very relevant to IM. You can see it here:
"A Minute With Maxwell" Today's Word: Opportunity « John Maxwell Team | A Minute With Maxwell | Free Video Opt In
(There's no opt-in to view it, only to continue to receive similar messages.)
I love his point about recognizing and seizing opportunity: "When opportunity comes, it's too late to prepare." It's so true!
On a personal note, I lost my job last year. Within three weeks, I had two HUGE opportunities drop into my lap. I found a publisher for my book (which I'd only started writing within 2 weeks of losing my job) and I was able to enroll in a mentoring program with a woman who was just the PERFECT coach for me. (AND I found money I didn't even know I had -- in retirement funds -- to pay for it all!)
Because I'd been studying IM for a long time and had already made some money with it, I was ready when the opportunity came. My book is about online marketing and if I didn't already know so much about IM, I would never have been able to take that opportunity.
Interestingly, my fiance became under-employed at about the same time I became unemployed. (Talk about stress on a relationship!) He talked about wanting to start a day trading business and we talked about me giving him some money to start it.
Unfortunately, he hadn't been studying it and didn't know anything about it. Only when he saw he might be able to do it (with my money) did he go buy some books at Barnes and Noble. He bought 4 books, but couldn't even get through two of them, nevermind buying any homestudy course on it or going to a workshop or conference.
And the opportunity passed him by.
His argument was that, why should he study it if he didn't have the money to start such a business? My answer was, you have to study and prepare so that you ARE ready when the opportunity presents itself.
(We broke up and never did get married.)
I lost my job Feb. 19, started writing my book (about online marketing) within two weeks and found a publisher within another week and the date on my book contract is March 9. Talk about moving fast! Wow!
But I KNEW it was what I wanted to do and I was ready.
My mentors have stressed the importance of making the decision first and THEN figuring out the how. Don't wait until you know the how before making the decision. Make the decision, and the answers and resources will find you.
It seems counter intuitive, but I'm here to tell you from my own experience, it's true! Make your decision and start pursuing it, even if you don't really know how to do it. The how will find you (along with the resources, mentors, etc.).
Have a great day!
Michelle
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