Opportunities are always hidden. That is their nature. If they were open and visible to everyone, they would no longer be opportunities since everyone would rush to take advantage of them, and they would be taken.
Unfortunately, because opportunities are hidden, most times, they pass us by, and we don’t even realize they exist.
What is the best way for us to discover and take advantage of the opportunities other people seem oblivious to?
By being alive to the possibility of there being an opportunity in everything around us- in the interaction with the stranger sitting next to you on a plane, in the complaint a client makes, or in the failed experiment that disappoints you.
- The stranger on the flight could be instrumental in helping you enter a new workplace if you are open to the possibility and willing to converse with him.
- The complaint from the client could alert you to the systemic issue that could have lost your company a lot of money because you didn’t look at it as just another complaint.
- Because you looked for learnings from the failed experiment, you may have discovered a new research line you would not have otherwise considered.
If you look out for opportunities in everything, your mind is wired to alert you to their presence, even if they may seem hidden to others.