Hidden Opportunities

It is easy to be encouraged by things that have gone well...the highlights. But how often do we view the things that have not gone well as one of our greatest opportunities? Most of us view problems as obstacles in the way of our dreams. We may grumble as we deal with them and resent the time and energy that we could be using on more productive pursuits. But problems can be opportunities for the creation of value, if we are willing to see them through different eyes. 

We create value when we solve problems. 

We tend to view our own problems as exclusive to ourselves, with unique circumstances, like somehow nobody else has to grapple with them. That is far from the truth. In fact people all around us are like likely facing the same problems.  And where there are a bunch of people dealing with the same problem, there is opportunity to create a solution. 

There are numerous examples of this. Some people start an organization to help others deal with a tragedy they have personally faced and battled their way through. Others were working on one type of invention and a 'mistake' they made yielded a product that was more promising that what they were hoping for in the first place, like penicillin and popsicles. Some people have even started successful companies out of experiencing a poorly made product or poor customer service and figuring they could do better.

Waste, when brought into the light and air, makes fertile soil. Look in the areas of your life that you consider wasted for key opportunities and strategies. You may find that the wall your dream is running into is actually an opportunity to refine or change your dream into one that is more meaningful and has more impact.