CHANCES-GETTING PREPARED TO TAKE THEM

A chance is defined as a possibility of something (of an uncertain outcome) happening. They are fleeting in nature;here this minute and gone the next.

“You miss all the shots you don’t take.”

I know this seems like an obvious cliche;I mean “who wouldn’t want to take chances,if they saw them,right?” but?I think the real question here should be ‘Do those chances see you?’ Are you on opportunity’s radar?

“You cannot process information that you don’t have.”

An unprepared, ill-equipped hunter might end up missing the available game. A lot of times, we miss chances (opportunities) by not being prepared enough, to recognize and seize them, when they come. I have found out that doing certain things can help in placing one(and one’s mind) in a better stead, where chances can gravitate towards us and we are properly poised to recognize and take them. ?

In no particular order,these things are:

1.Make a move!: The opening lines from Tatiana Manaois’ song-'Like you',goes thus:

“You gotta get up and make a move

'Cause the world won't ever see you 'til you do”

You are,most likely, going to remain where you are,if you do not make a move. Chances to get employed in your choice field are available and flying by,daily. If you do not meet some of the requirements for your desired job openings,it is left for you to make a move-activate a plan to get that needed certification or skill that is holding you back.

2. Regrets(A waste of time and energy):You missed an opportunity? It is only human to feel bad about it, but please try not dwell on it for too long before making the decision to move on,either by giving it another try or redirecting your energy towards a different target.Just because you missed the 9:10 AM bus,it does not mean that your day is ruined.You can either wait for the next bus or take a cab. Do not dissipate your energy on regrets.They are a waste of time and energy.

"If you are still breathing, you have a second chance." -Oprah Winfrey

3.Options: There is a reason why an archer’s quiver usually holds more than one arrow. Create options for yourself. Just in case your first shot does not do it-change positions, change stances, change tactics. Take chances until you hit your bull’s eye. Stuck in traffic? There is little or nothing you can do about that. Inform those you have an appointment with, so they do not keep waiting for you. Reschedule,if a virtual meeting will not suffice.

"I don’t buy the idea of a second chance. With hope we make a lot of chances".-Toba Beta

4.Be bold:Yes!Be bold with an open mind. Recognizing that things may not go your way is the first step towards taking that bold step. Have you met someone you liked at first glance and you felt both of you had a huge chance of connecting, but you hesitated, and in a fleeting moment,the person was gone? A lot of us are afraid of failure(rejection,in this case),but you never can tell what the outcome is going to be,without trying. Always try,having it in mind that it could go both ways,but you can rest easy,knowing that you made a move and this was the outcome. Keep an open mind:just in case things don’t end up the way you want them.

“If you do not ask,the answer is always no”

?5. Clamming up(Don’t!): Have you done the job?Do you have the skill?Were you a member of a team that performed amazingly well on a given task?Please do not clam up on those ‘little things’ because you read somewhere that you should be humble. Let people know what you have done,it gives an insight into what are capable of handling. No one is going to come shine the spotlight on your strength,if you are shying away from doing that yourself.Do not lie or exaggerate.(Please take out time to read @Jane Egerton-Idehen’s piece on making yourself visible-https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/linkedin-visibility-why-how-jane-egerton-idehen/?published=t Trust me,it is going to be a time well spent.)

“Do the work, spread the word.”

- Jane Egerton-Idehen.?

6.Build relationships: According to Google,there are over 7.9 billion humans on earth today.I doubt if anybody reading this knows up to 50,000 people. Most of the opportunities and chances that are going to come your way,are going to be created by other humans,so foster healthy and positive relationships. Send out that request to connect today(please add a simple personalized note to your request) and do not forget to send a birthday wish or congratulatory message to them, when they mark milestones. Engage them on posts-yours and theirs. (Watch this space on how to foster healthy relationships).

Please recognize that people have different issues they are battling with and do not take it personal when they do not accept your request/advances to connect.

7.Let your gratitude show:Be grateful and make the extra effort to show it too. There is a great difference between being grateful and showing gratitude. We are usually happy when something good comes our way,but some of us usually fail to actually show /convey that gratitude to its source-a colleague,parent,spouse,friend or strangers.Yes,you can show gratitude to yourself too, by rewarding yourself for something you set out to do and achieved it.

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” —Cicero

?8. Value proposition:What is the value that you are coming with? Be so valuable that you become invaluable. Strive to be one of the best in your field,without being unnecessarily competitive. Be humane,in all you do. Help out,where (and when) you can.Most times when you try to connect with people, they assess your profile to know what value you are bringing. Make them excited to be close to you.

"When?you're confident in what?you bring to the table,?you?don't have to chase and beg anyone to sit down and eat."-Stephan Labossiere

?9. Know when to stop: If you have tried your best shot and it did not work, there is no need to keep trying, else you are going to become drained of the energy and the zeal to try other things.

?"Don’t waste your time/energy waking someone who is pretending to be asleep."-African proverb

10. Smile always,it could have been worse:The fact that you are still alive,means there is still room for improvement, and with improvement comes an increase in your chances. I know we all cannot be moving busts of sunshine, but please try not to be a dark cloud that everybody avoids.

"Keep your face to the sun and you will never see the shadows"

-Helen Keller

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The synopsis of everything I have written,is that we should take effective steps to make our own luck or better our chances.Thanks for reading.

Till we meet again,I say “Bonne Chance!”