Opportunity Knocks, But it Won’t Kick the Door Down

Good morning, folks!  I hope your day is off to a great start.

Mine could be better, but that’s how it goes.  The guy who NEVER gets sick woke up yesterday with an intense upper respiratory infection and, by the end of the day, testing confirmed Covid. I’ve had it twice before, but this one is absolutely the worst.  No, I didn’t get the new vaccine yet.  I was planning on it, but you know what they say about good intentions. 

I’m not going to dwell on this.  If it’s the worst thing that happens this year (you know, over the next two days), I’ve got it made. The only reason I mention it is to remind you all that vaccines are available, and this is a WHOLE lot worse than a sore arm.  Not trying to tell anyone what to do, but I hope you’ll all give it some consideration.

We’ve talked a lot these past two weeks about not crawling into a grave before it’s time. Mostly, we talked about physical limitations and how we build them up in our mind.  It’s hard to enjoy an active life when you hurt, and even harder when you convince yourself it’s worse than it is.  Take it from someone who avoided energetic activities twenty years before he had a heart attack.

Another limitation has nothing to do with our physical condition, or our perception of it.  In my business, I ask people all the time to dream a bit – make a list of things they’d like to do if money were no object.  It’s amazing how quickly we all start to pare that list back, based entirely on our current financial resources.  It’s almost impossible to see past the roadblocks right in front of us.

And when you press the matter further, they can all come up with a dozen reasons they’ll never have the money to do half the things they want.  Born into a poor family, dead-end job, too many bills, no money to invest – the list goes on and on.  And no matter how hard you try, some people just can’t accept the fact that every one of those challenges can be overcome with one thing – more money.

Yeah, I know.  If earning more money would fix their problems, wouldn’t they be doing it?  You’d think.  But five years later, they’re still sitting there whining about their lot in life and how opportunity never knocks.  Well, get a clue, knucklehead!  It does knock, probably more than we think.  But opportunity is not like a bill collector.  If you don’t open the door, it moves on.

Take a few moments to think of all the times in your life you had the opportunity to increase your income.  That may have been as simple as learning a new skill at work, applying for a new job, moving to a city with better opportunities, whatever.  Do not … and I can’t stress this enough … do not try robbing banks.  On the other hand, you don’t need a lot of money in jail.  I’m just saying.

The point is we’ve all been faced with opportunities that we may have quickly dismissed or didn’t recognize in the first place.  Most times, it’s just a mental block.  “What would my friends say?”  Are they paying your bills?  “I don’t know anybody.”  That’s a lie.  You know me.  “If it was that good, everybody would be doing it.”  If you believe that, read these past few paragraphs again.

The new year is upon us, and resolutions are a traditional way to take our mind off the cold weather and mounting holiday bills.  If you want to lose weight, you can.  If you want to exercise, do it.  And if you want to be able to afford those things you couldn’t until now, fix it.  Will another year of doing the same thing magically turn things in your favor?  Something to think about.

That’s all for now.  Remember, the simplest ideas can often be the most profitable.  Sometimes, it really IS that easy.  You just have to take a gamble and put yourself out there.  Have a safe & happy New Year!

© 2023 Dave Glardon – All rights reserved