Creating Your Own Opportunities [Part 1]

As we all know, success does not come without a price to pay. As a matter of fact, for things to happen for you, you have to make such thing happen by your actions. Many people that succeed did not have opportunities delivered to them, they had to create their own opportunities and then worked on it to create impact in their world. Just to let you know, in life, no one will hand over anything to you (including opportunities), so you have to work for it to get it. There are lots of ways to create opportunities and we shall be looking at some of them.

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1. Be attentive to consider what happens within your immediate environment

Most times, opportunities fly over many people's head but why they do not take advantage of it is because they do not see it as opportunities. Sometimes, the opportunities may come as a problem to be solved and if you are not attentive to details, you will not know that they are opportunities. Within your environment, you can reflect on things that other people see as challenges and you can take it up as opportunities. It is by providing solution to challenges that you create opportunities. So look within your environment, there will be something that you can leverage on and turn to opportunities.

In the place where I grew up, there was a woman that started selling Okpa (Bambara nut pudding). Many of the locals patronized her because they saw it as an easy "food on the go". They would just convene in front of her shop to eat the food and leave. A point came when a friend of mine noticed that the customers that ate the Okpa normally trekked to the next street to buy drink or they would come with their own drink. So she saw an opportunity in that. She took the next shop to the Okpa seller's shop and started selling drinks. It became a major breakthrough for her. She did not need to scout for customers because as they bought the Okpa, they would also buy the drink.

You see, a lot of people saw the challenge but it was only her that saw it as an opportunity because she was attentive to details. Right from where you are, you can create your own opportunities just as the woman created her own. In your environment, there may be what people need or a particular problem facing them. This could be a breakthrough call for you. By providing the solutions to that particular problem, you would have created your own opportunity to succeed. Note; the easiest way to succeed is by providing solutions to the problems of the world.

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2. Discover what you are passionate about

There is at least one thing that you are very passionate about or something that you can do so well (even better than others) that you do not need to rehearse to do. That could be an opportunity staring you in the face. Many people have made a fortune by simply monetizing their passion. Take football for example. There are many people that are so passionate about football that they will play anything that looks round, and even along the street. Many of the world renowned footballers only followed their passion and they are manking it huge in the field. I remember what a friend of mine once said:

The thing you can do exceptionally well, do not do it for free

When you discover your passion, it will position you to taking steps towards it. While growing up, I had a friend that was so funny that even his mere greeting will send you laughing. It was all jokes to him but I called his attention to him one day and told him "why not take comedy as a profession?" I told him that he would do very well and that was how he took the opportunity. He started by hosting birthday party, from there, he was recommended for bigger MC work. Now, he is among the top comedians in the country. This is all because he converted his passion to opportunity.

You may have a passion but the responsibility to convert it to opportunity is entirely on your shoulders.

Thanks for reading