Opportunity - How To Invite It Into Your Life

Opportunity only knocks once, the saying goes. It's a terrible thought, designed to scare you into trying something that may or may not be right for you. A better use of the metaphor is to say that opportunity knocks many times, but we choose not to answer the door for various reasons, both good and bad. On the other hand, why wait for anything good to come knocking, when you can simply invite it over?

How do you do this? There are many specific techniques you can use to generate more opportunities and "good luck" in your life. One of the easiest ones is to simply start recognizing and being grateful for the opportunities you already have. Do this until your mind is trained to do it automatically, and you will start to have more opportunities and good luck in your life. Why does this work?

The Science Of Good Luck

When I bought our van, I suddenly began to see the same model all over. The other vans had always been there, of course, but now I was noticing them, because my mind was "tuned into" that model. You've probably had a similar experience. This is how our brains function. We start to see more of whatever we are looking for or "tuned into." This is true with good luck and opportunities too. Look for something, and you'll see more of it.

How do you apply this? Start noticing when you have an opportunity to learn something in a situation. Note how lucky you were to find the home you live in, or the job you have. Realize you have the chance to start a business with your tax refund money. Make a list of all the good things that have happened to you.

Why does just acknowledging your past and current luck and opportunities help? There are two important reasons. First, you'll feel better. Counting your "blessings" brings a sense of gratitude that is good for your soul, even if you're not religious. It is energizing and motivating. Energy and motivation mean you are better equipped to take advantage of new opportunities. The psychology of this process is real with or without any spiritual aspect, so this is essentially a brain training exercise for a better life.

The second reason it helps to  recognize the good things you have, and watch for more, is that it opens your mind to the possibilities.  When you try this, you'll notice that you "get lucky" more often. Opportunities will come up more often. This won't be your imagination. It will be a result of you tuning into the possibilities and so finding them where you would otherwise have missed them. You are essentially creating opportunity.

Let's explore this a bit further. Some would  tell you that God or the universe blesses you when you have gratitude in your heart. It's a nice thought, but the more rational explanation is that when you acknowledge and are grateful for the opportunities you already have, and you are habitually looking for more, you are creating a certain frame of mind. This frame of mind helps you "take" advantages and "make" opportunities where others see none.

For example, one day my brother mentioned how he's making money from simply hanging advertisements on his websites. I had no interest in the internet at the time, so I could have easily just said "That's great," and let it go at that. However, because I had used the principles outlined here, my mind is in the habit of looking for opportunities, so I asked a few questions. The result? Within eighteen months I was making a good living using articles like this to direct traffic to my websites.

You might have heard the saying; "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade." This is the frame of mind of a lucky person. Recognize how lucky you are, even in small ways, and it makes the possibilities more real to you. This gets you watching, and the watching gets you thinking, "How can I make lemonade from these lemons? How is this good for me? Where is the opportunity in this situation?"