Obstacles vs Opportunities

Hummingbird and Dinner

Our nature is to clearly see the obstacles.  In fact our survival depends on this ability.  Unfortunately, this mindset precludes us from seeing the opportunities behind those obstacles.


Suppose I tell you it's raining.  What comes to mind?  Oh...a dreary day right?  Did you think about how its a great day to sell umbrellas?  If you are in the body shop business it might even mean more business.  My argument is not the life gives you lemons make lemonade bit but rather that we don't see the opportunities.


We get hung up about the problem and not about what opportunities can result.  This is extremely difficult to do but it's not out of the realm of possibility.  


A friend of mine recently spent nine days with his wife in ICU.  During that time he noticed the mish mash of cables and cords keeping his wife alive.  He noticed how the nurses kept fussing over the confusion.  He came up with a solution, drew it up, engineered it, and is now trying to sell it to hospitals.  This is what I mean.  The obstacle is merely the stepping stone to finding the opportunity.


Take a look again at the challenges in front of you.  What you see may be the beginning of a new career.  It's a matter of changing your horizon.  Look beyond the obstacle itself.