Monday Morning

Motivation    4/25/2011

THE POSITIVE PLACE. SALES MOTIVATION AND PERSONAL GROWTH

Blind to opportunity

Although I read a great deal of new information each year, I have the habit of re-reading certain books every few years. These are books that have made a difference in the way I view myself or life -- books that are, to one extent or the other, transformative in nature.

One of those books, which I read for its lessons in self-reliance and backbone (not to mention that it’s a good read) is Charles Dickens’ book “David Copperfield.” Largely inspired by experiences that Dickens had as a child, the book  contrasts the spendthrift with the judicious, the evil with the good, the caring soul and the person who misuses others.

A full treatise of the subject will wait for another day. But for today, let me quote from David Copperfield’s aunt, when he can’t see the love and devotion of the friend who ultimately becomes his wife: “Blind, Blind, Blind.”

Every time I read that passage, I think about how so many of us are oblivious to the great opportunities that surround us. Most of us go through each day immune to the beauty in the world. We ignore friendships and devotion. We toil long hours for things that really don’t matter. We make decisions that don’t make a difference, ignore areas that would impact our lives for good, and spend our time, money, and resources acquiring items that are of little consequence.

We’re “Blind, Blind, Blind” to the blessings and opportunities that are around us every day.

The fact is that we live in an amazing world. We have instant access to the world’s information, much of it for free. We can go almost anywhere, choose almost any path, and become almost anyone who we would want to become. And yet most of us settle for the least little amount possible. We don’t only sell ourselves short -- we don’t sell ourselves at all.

Most of us are “Blind, Blind, Blind.”

For the person who sees the world around them, their life is spent in constant wonder and learning. They learn new things -- because there are always new things to learn. They go new places, ask new questions. They delve into themselves, trying to become better, stronger, happier. They explore the farthest reaches of their lives -- and as a result, their explorations become deeper and more meaningful.

Copperfield starts off as a fatherless boy who is loved by his widowed mother. His mother remarries, and he is beaten and tormented by his stepfather. After his mother dies, he is sent away as a child to work in a dirty factory, then escapes to live with his aunt. He is educated, picks a life’s path, sees and grasps opportunities, and becomes happy and successful. Each downturn is met and addressed. Financial challenges are addressed forthrightly, risks are taken, friends turn on him or support him, challenges are taken and excelled at. Opportunity is sought, found, and followed. Love is found and lost, and found again. Criminals are punished, right and truth prevail, and people live happily ever after.

Opportunity is where you find it, and most people never find it, because they are not looking for it. Where opportunity and reality figure in, most of us are just “Blind, Blind, Blind,” but that doesn’t mean we have to remain so forever. We can develop the ability to see the opportunity that surrounds us.

Copyright, 2011, by Daryl R. Gibson. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted for the non-commercial redistribution of this document as long as it remains intact with this copyright and all other lines. This license does not extend to the use of this material in a compilation, whether for profit or non-profit use. Join us at http://www.Weekdaywisdom.com.