The CORE Approach®

The CORE of Really Being Alive - Opportunity
If you recall, in the last newsletter, we talked about the "C" of CORE, Choice. In that article, we talked about the fact that too many of us simply "let" life happen to us, rather than making conscious choices about what we want and how we are going to achieve what we want to achieve. Think every day about what choices you are making...we make plenty each and every day!

This time, we'll be talking about the "O" in CORE, which is Opportunity. Just as many of us wait for life to happen to us, many of us also wait for opportunities to come our way. The premise of The CORE of Really Being Alive is that you live your life fully and experience everything that you possibly can. With this in mind, it stands to reason that if you wait for opportunities, you might not want the opportunities that come your way, or you may never get the opportunities you want and need to obtain your goals. So, what's the answer to this dilemma?

Go get them! Opportunities are all around you - seek them out! Find opportunities that will move you closer to your goals, to the choices you've made. Talk to people about their experiences and yours, about your desires and goals. Chances are that by talking to others about what you are working toward, you will uncover opportunities through those people.

Determine who can help you achieve your goals and create opportunities for you. Look at your family and friends in this new light. Can any of them provide opportunities for you, either directly, or by introducing you to someone in their network?

Look beyond your immediate family and circle of friends. Move into your ex-mediate circle. (Yes, I know ex-mediate isn't a Webster word - it's a real word, though - I know because I made it up. It's the opposite of immediate.) What this means is that you work through your immediate circle of influence into the outer circle, or the ex-mediate circle of influence and contact and talk with those people.

Also, who don't you know that you need to know? Determine how you can meet them, through going to their presentations and talks, buying tickets to their shows, contacting them through their websites, writing letters, or other creative means. Be careful here-you don't want to be accused of being a stalker. Make sure that your contact method is professional and that the correspondence has meaning to it. You might want to talk with someone in marketing for the best approach before you decide to contact an executive or celebrity.

However, there are people right in your own community you can access. Try your local Chamber of Commerce. See who's in their directory that might provide an opportunity or two, or further your movement toward your goal. Contact those people and ask for a meeting. Many of them will be more than happy to accommodate your request. Or write to me - maybe I can help!

The bottom line is that there are many opportunities out there for those who seek them. One method I employ is that I sit quietly and ask my Higher Authority for guidance for the specific goal I am working toward accomplishing. Then listen for the guidance. Now, understand that this is not always an immediate answer, and I'm not a lunatic who "hears" voices. However, my belief is that if you listen, the universe/God/whatever Higher Authority exists in your belief system, will provide you with answers. These may be words you "hear," it may be a conversation you have soon after your request for guidance, or it may be an actual opportunity that seems to "drop in your lap" unbidden.

Pay attention! There are no coincidences in life. We all have to be aware of the opportunities that present themselves. So often, we don't realize that something has the potential to come our way, because we are too busy being judgmental. Think how often you've brushed off a stranger who tried to strike up a conversation in a line in which you were waiting, or you avoided talking to someone who looked or dressed differently. These may have been people who could have provided you with a name of someone who could help you with your goal. Just remember, we aren't here to judge, but we are here to live the best life we possibly can. That means achieving all we possibly can, and making the choices and seeking the opportunities to move toward goals we set for ourselves.

In opportunity seeking, as a means to "succeeding", you have to not only open your mind, but truly open your heart to this huge universe of Opportunity. And to those opportunities that move you ever closer, one step at a time, toward your purpose.

Look around. Think about your choices. Open your mind and your heart to your purpose. Judge not. Talk up your goals. Be aware of your surroundings. Think about the people you meet and speak with in light of your goals and purpose. Seek out those opportunities, or those opportunity providers or facilitators. Live the CORE of your life!