As developing an opportunity sensitive mindset has had been one of my pet subjects as far back as the late seventies, I am naturally attracted to what I otfen call "compressed wisdom", which captured, in only a few words or phrases, the teaching moments - and, to be precise, learning moments for me - of intellectual and experiential giants, like Dr Maxwell Maltz and Dr Edward de Bono, just to name a few.

To cut to the chase, many others like Dr Maxwell Maltz and Dr Edward de Bono at that time and also in the ensuing years actually spurred my deep interest.

I have had already mentioned earlier, Dr Maxwell Maltz gave a lecture on developing your strength to seize opportinies in Chapter 8 of the University of Success classic, written by Og Mandino, during which he shared 5 strategies.

So, what's an opportunity?

"It's a course of action that is possible and obviously worth pursuing",

 drawing intellectual cues from the late creativity maestro Dr Edward de Bono.

A Dutch business owner, Greetje den Holder, writing in her weblog, describes it as follows:

"An opportunity is anything that provides you with a chance to change your circumstances for the better."

According to life coach and visual thinking expert, Adam Sicinski who says:

“... many of the opportunities we come across are actually disguised as problems or hard work.

However, to the untrained eye — unable to see past the present moment — all opportunities are actually insurmountable problems that make life difficult, stressful and hard.”

Well, that is where the mistake is made: seeing problems as “problems” rather than challenges that test and strengthen your determination.

He nevertheless adds:

“The moment you shift your perspective and begin seeing your problems as challenges is the moment you begin training your brain to spot opportunities. Problems may very well be insurmountable.

However, a challenge is something you can work with to better your current circumstances.”

As you can see, it is all about your attitude or perspective whether there are opportunities for you.

That's all, folks, for today!

Please stay tuned, as I will share more learning points, especially about developing an opportunity sensitive mindset.

Drawing intellectual cues from Dr Maxwell Maltz, writing in his Psycho-Cybernetics classic:

"I am a firm believer in 'negative thinking' when used correctly. We need to be AWARE of negatives so that we can steer clear of them.

A golfer needs to know where the bunkers and sand traps are - but he doesn't think continuously about the bunker - where he doesn't want to go.

His mind glances at the bunker, but he DWELLS upon the green."

He added:

“Our errors, mistakes, failures, and sometimes even our humiliations, were necessary steps in the learning process. However, they were meant to be means to an end - and not an end in themselves.

When they have served their purpose, they should be forgotten. If we consciously dwell on the error, or consciously feel guilty about the error and keep berating ourselves because of it, then - unwittingly - the error or failure itself becomes the "goal" that is consciously held in imagination and memory.”!

“Remember you will not always win. Some days, the most resourceful individual will taste defeat. But there is, in this case, always tomorrow - after you have done your best to achieve success today.”

More from him:

“Live in the present.

The past is gone; the future is unknown -- but the present is real, and your opportunities are now. You must see these opportunities; they must be real for you.

The catch is that they can't seem real if your mind is buried in past failures, if you keep reliving old mistakes, old guilts, old tragedies. Fight your way above the many inevitable Traumatizations of your ego, escape damnation by the past, and look to the opportunities of the present.

I don't mean some vague moment in the present -- next week or next month, perhaps. I mean today, this minute.”

What I have learned:

Perspective Matters! So much of our happiness depends on how we choose to look at the world.

Frankly, life is all about perspective. Sometimes, all it takes is a tiny shift of perspectve!

Enjoy! Godspeed.