“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” ~ Seneca the Younger
Where and when does a man learn to identify his opportunities?
What opportunities?
Are all opportunities open to us if we can use our power of mental imagery to conjure up where we want to be? Or for what we want to be doing?
In the last three years I have gotten back into bow hunting. I’m using a compound bow now. Way back in the day I was a stick and string man.
But I’m having fun learning about, and shooting a compound bow. 10 arrows a day, or more, if the opportunity is there.
I recently had a vacation scheduled to go and hunt a wild part of Wisconsin. It’s closed off to motorized traffic, is a huge piece of land, and you have to walk in. Miles… in!!
It’s awesome. A near wilderness experience, right in my own backyard.
Did I tell ya there is lions, wolves, and bears… oh my. With the occasional elk. It’s wild.
But then a different opportunity popped up.
My wife found a bathroom vanity that she had been shopping for… so the wilderness week long hunt turned into a bathroom remodel before Thanksgiving.
The remodel didn’t turn out like we hoped. I have to redo some of the small trim and paint details.
The wilderness bow hunt seemed lost to me.
Until, during my preparations for the long standing, traditional nine-day gun deer season, my son reminded me that we can bow hunt the Friday before the Saturday gun opener.
Opportunity knocking?
I was all prepared for the bow hunt, practiced everyday all summer, secured a new and lighter stand, Google Earthed the hunting spot, made a few forays into the wilderness on scouting/grouse hunting trips… so I’m all set to go.
Do I go and get at least one day in?
It is an opportunity.
and even the bible says to, “;make the most of every opportunity.” ~ Colossians 4:5
I’m a bit of an old timer now. I have some good experience that allows me to notice an opportunity when it cracks open a little bit.
But what of a younger EMERGING MAN? What information do you use to discern opportunities?
This particular hunting opportunity has a lot of up side.
I get an extra day to scout; set up my stand; have at the minimum, a whole afternoon on stand, and still have time to tweak the spot, and move, if I don’t find the sign that I did earlier in the year.
I’m confident and excited to ponder this option.
The only kerfuffle in the whole idea is that I have to work nights, the night before, and won’t get a lot of sleep before I have to drive Up North.
And there it is. A perfectly good opportunity. With only one wrinkle.
Websters defines “opportunity” as…
- a suitable combination of conditions
- a favorable juncture of circumstances
And Online Etymology Dictionary has “opportunity” as a “fit; convenient; or seasonable time.”
With what ever life project, manly endeavor, business deal, or marriage proposal you may be working on can you say, like I can, concerning my bow hunting opportunity…
“ALL the pieces are in place for this to happen. I just have to do it.”
Have you identified all the pieces?
Or is there a gnawing in your gut that something is missing?
Do you feel “pushed” in any way? Or lacking in something? Maybe your confidence isn’t where it needs to be.
Maybe your playing beat the bank with that business deal, hoping to close the deal before they find out you are a bit over extended.
Or maybe you haven’t brought yourself to buy that ring yet!
Maybe you just feel like you are flying all over the place.
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” ~ Seneca the Younger
As an EMERGING MAN you can Encourage, Equip & Engage with the process steps of the specific life goal you are working on… in order to take full advantage of each and every opportunity that you can see.
Realizing that each step IS an OPPORTUNITY… to keep moving forward… to keep learning… to keep Emerging, Equipping & Engaging in your emergence as a man.
theemergingman.com 