Article by Wendy McCance
Do you know someone who seems to have incredible luck in their life? Have you ever wondered how they got so lucky, why things seem so easy for them or what they are doing that you aren’t?
The answer is actually very simple. These people see opportunity where others miss it.
Let me give you an example of an opportunity that was almost missed. A good friend of ours is looking to transition in her career. All of the long hours she has had to work has become too much and she is looking to find a job where there is a more traditional schedule. She has been researching the area she wants to go into, but she hasn’t mentioned what she is looking to do to anyone but her very closest friends.
The other day as she was on the computer and decided to look up a company she had heard of. She thought this company would be a good place to put in an application. Imagine her surprise when she found she was connected to a top person in management.
I encouraged her to reach out and get a hold of this person when we got together. I said this was an opportunity that she should grab. Her response was that she wasn’t sure if it was such a good idea. She said maybe she should wait until she had a better background in the area she was looking to go into. One or two other excuses were expressed as well.
I reminded her that when I started out in my career I took giant chances. I didn’t have a remarkable background but I was passionate about what I wanted to do. A secret I have learned is that if someone sees how passionate you are about what you are doing, many people get excited for you and jump on board. The lack of experience goes out the window as they see an ambitious person who is determined to succeed and who they want to help get there.
My friend should know better. She has gone down this path before. A few years back, she began dreaming of working in a creative field. She had no schooling, had never worked in that field and only had bits and pieces of experience that could be useful that type of career. She felt getting into that field would be impossible, but she still obsessed about having that type of job.
Back then, the excuses flew when I said I would help her find her dream job. She was adamant it wouldn’t work. I made a deal with her. I would be happy to find the jobs if she was willing to submit the resume and cover letter if I found something good. Needless to say, she had 3 requests for interviews and ended up getting a job at twice the pay she was making already.
Sometimes opportunities will fall into your lap. Other times you have to get creative and search out the possibilities. The point is that you can have what you want. Get brave and take chances. The worst that can happen is that you are still in the exact same place. You already knows how that feels, so why not go after what you want?
If you keep your eyes and ears open to the possibilities and can get creative in figuring out how to make your dream come to life, amazing things will happen for you. You will be the person others think has all the luck. Your New Year’s resolution should be to grab each opportunity as it appears. No more excuses, just the guts to go after your dreams. You will be amazed at how many things will fall right into your lap.
What about you? Do you have an experience you can share? I’d love to read about your success stories.
Wendy McCance
To contact Wendy McCance about a writing assignment, interview or speaking engagement, please email her at: [email protected]
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Hi Wendy,
This story made me laugh. This is how my husband and I ended up together. An opportunity arose and we had to make a decision. We decided to be together and we are about to celebrate 11 years together and welcome our third baby. That plunge comes in all forms. Sometimes they work and other times they don’t. If they don’t work, at least you learn from it. BTW: I’m working on a different plunge that I emailed you about. I’m so excited - I can hardly stand it. Great post.
Sincerely,
Karina
Karina, what an inspiring story. Love those storybook endings. Happy Holidays and congrats on the new baby.
I have always taken the plunge, with both eyes fixed on the target. Don’t want anything to bypass me. There are those individuals who are really frightened. No matter how simple the transition might seem, they will not take that first step. Some are daredevils, others watch them from afar, wishing they could be as brave,and others just bury their heads in the sand, hoping no one leads them in the opposite direction. Good read. Blessings.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. I think some of it comes down to comfort and fear of change. Some people are set in their ways and shaking things up by taking a leap is just too far out of their comfort zone.
Thanks for this encouragement. Just what I needed. I have signed up for Carol Tice and Linda Formichelli’s Audit the Blast Off bootcamp. I am scared to death. My goal is to improve my income in 2014. You have helped by giving me the courage that I need.
That’s wonderful. Just think, you just got over the hardest obstacle. You got brave and grabbed an opportunity. Wishing you all the best in the new year!