Opportune moments aren't rare

It’s no secret that self-help gurus teach that people can dramatically change their lives by changing how they view the world. Nowhere is this more evident than with regard to how people view opportunities.\nWhat keeps many people from success is that they view opportunities as natural occurrences in life. In fact, they believe an average person will naturally have an “opportune time” and will have several opportunities to take advantage of. Rather then seizing opportunities, these people believe that opportunities are “presented to them.” People with this mentality generally do have several opportunities and either capitalize or fail to capitalize on them.\nThe reality of the situation is that opportunity is a dynamic beast. People of the same socio-economic level and school education can have vastly different numbers of opportunities. Furthermore, what looks like an opportunity for one person can look like an impossible task for another. In real estate, the most successful investors live by the mantra “the deal of a lifetime comes once a week.”\nEven those that are “presented” with opportunities have more to do with it than they would admit. Perhaps they presented themselves with this opportunity because of their knowledge in this specific area (education), or because they became friends with someone from their church or religious group (networking), or because they worked on a similar project several years ago (experience). Rarely do opportunities arise from thin air. (If someone knows of any such occurrences, please contact me and I will take you out to lunch.)\nThe number and quality of opportunities are a result of your conscious and unconscious actions. You can significantly increase your number of opportunities by increasing your knowledge and networking and by consciously choosing a career. Opportunities are directly correlated to how proactive you are with your life and how successful you are in planning your future.\nYou can start things off by deciding on a five-year plan for yourself. People often change careers and life plans. The important thing is not whether you strictly conform to your five-year plan, but that you always have a plan for the future. I have changed my plans many times, but I am always striving for some goal at a given time. Changing your plans does not mean you are a hypocrite or noncommittal. It simply means you have changed your priorities and interests through your personal life experiences.\nFor graduating seniors, you will soon be presented with an infinite amount of career paths. Unlike school, the real world is less systematized. This will create great opportunity for some and will reveal the glaring holes of the school system for others. It is this time of great opportunity that you must seize the day and take control of your future. Seek new experiences, continue to learn and always be networking. The real game starts the day after you graduate. Get your gloves on, because it’s time to play.