In life, we are often told to carpe diem, a Latin aphorism that translates to seize the day. But how many of us out there are really opportunistic and jump on the wagon to follow our dreams?
A friend of mine recently bumped into one of those people. She was looking for a new retail outlet to expand her new business. As she scoured the city, she saw a new development with spaces that might suit her needs. She asked the property watchman if the spaces had been leased, and he said he would get back to her.
The watchman did not take long to respond to my friend’s inquiry. He also seized the day. After gaining an insight into the kind of businesses my friend operated, he offered her a business proposition for a new venture he had in mind.
Despite being a security guard and not a businessman, my friend admired his entrepreneurial spirit. He’d grabbed her attention, and convinced her to consider his proposition. When my friend told me about him, I was sure that even if she didn’t go ahead with his idea, someone with his drive is bound to find what he is looking for.
Now if my friend does support his proposal, he will achieve his goal, and his life will change for the better. His own family’s life back home would also be enhanced, just because of that one question. Ultimately, if he had not been gutsy and simply answered my friend’s query he would always stay where he is.
In business taking advantage of being at the right place at the right time with the right people can do wonders. I have personally pursued all of my goals by not fearing to ask. A simple question can unlock the doors to our dreams.
I believe that being opportunistic goes hand in hand with entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs who are aware of their surroundings and react to a favourable moment instead of letting it pass them by will often reach their full potential and be ahead in their game.
There is often a debate whether one is born with an opportunistic spirit and is genetically wired to act that way, or if it is a quality that can be taught. I believe in the latter.
While I’ve known since childhood that I wanted to be a creator of something that would change people’s lives, and have always had that opportunistic spirit within me, I still had to give myself a big push — putting myself in situations I often thought were uncomfortable, such as networking events. I knew that was the only way to achieve my goals.
It is wise to keep in mind that being opportunistic starts with a simple thought process. It is often how business ideas are born.
For instance, you could spend a day at your local bank branch and realise that there an element missing there that could make customers wait less, and make that business more efficient.
With that thought you have two options: you could pursue your idea further and see if it could be turned into a business product/service, or you could let it go and move on to the next thought. Don’t be surprised if someone else in the future then pursues that same idea; you’ll then have to watch how amazing it turns out to be and how that person’s life and everybody around them has changed.
Even if you believe that you are not opportunistic and cannot take advantage of a circumstance or follow your dreams, don’t give up. All it takes is getting used to paying attention to your thought process, and finding the courage to ask and pursue. The best part is, you have nothing to lose. If it worked out, then you have achieved your goal. If not, then at least you tried and knew it was not meant for you.
We often take our daily thought process for granted. If we paid a little extra attention to our thoughts, we could find the answers to our dreams. All they need is an opportunistic push from you.
Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati writer based in Abu Dhabi. Follow her on Twitter: @manar_alhinai
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