A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. – Winston Churchill
A story is told some years ago about a young energetic man who began work as a clerk in a hardware store. Like many old-time hardware stores, the inventory included thousands of dollars’ worth of items that were obsolete or seldom called for by customers.
The young man was smart enough to know that no thriving business could carry such an inventory and still show a healthy profit. He proposed a sale to get rid of the stuff. The owner was reluctant but finally agreed to let him set up a table in the middle of the store and try to sell off a few of the oldest items. Every product was priced at ten cents.
The sale was a success and the young fellow got permission to run a second sale. It, too, went over just as well as the first. This gave the young clerk an idea. Why not open a store that would sell only nickel and dime items? He could run the store and his boss could supply the capital.
The young man’s boss was not enthusiastic. “The plan will never work,” he said, “because you can’t find enough items to sell at a nickel and a dime.” The young man was disappointed but eventually went ahead on his own and made a fortune out of the idea. His name was F. W. Woolworth.
Years later the old boss lamented, “As near as I can figure it, every word I used in turning Woolworth down has cost me about a million dollars!”
Victor Chasles said, “The sure way to miss success is to miss the opportunity,” and this is the challenge for leaders today. What opportunities are before you? Here are three simple reminders to help give you perspective about garnering the most of them.
Opportunities are not always obvious. Even at a young age, F.W. Woolworth saw a golden opportunity for a new business. But this was not the case with his boss. The rationale was there simply would not be enough items to sell for a nickel and a dime to be profitable.
After the eventual success of F. W. Woolworth, the old boss in hindsight realized that he missed out on a tremendous opportunity. And this is the challenge you face in today’s economy. There will always be those making excuses as to why something can’t be done, while others will go out and do it. While others may be oblivious to opportunities around them, do not be discouraged. Focus on your goals and dare to do the impossible. The bottom line: opportunities do not have to be obvious to others, just you.
Opportunities are not always popular. Woolworth’s boss refused to finance his department store idea. The same prologue can be written for many other successful entrepreneurs who, despite rejection and disappointment, forged ahead with purpose and seized their opportunity.
Take FedEx founder Fred Smith as an example. While attending Yale University, he wrote a paper on the need for reliable overnight delivery in a computerized information age. His professor found the premise improbable, and to the best of Smith’s recollection, he only received a grade of C for the effort, but the idea stayed with him.
Jim Rohn said, “If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.” And this is why you must embrace your opportunity regardless of how it looks to others or what they say about it. The bottom line: opportunities do not have to be popular with others, just you.
Opportunities are always knocking. We are living in unprecedented times. While many bemoan the current economy and are anxious about the future, this is your time to seize upon the greatest opportunities of our generation. In this environment the opportunities may not be obvious, or popular, but exist for those looking.
Alexander Graham Bell said, “When one door closes another door opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the ones which open for us.” When you focus on the opportunities before you and not worry about the past, you can breathe new life into your future. The bottom line: opportunities will always knock, are you paying attention?
©2011 Doug Dickerson
Follow Doug at Twitter.com/managemntmoment
