It is a curious quirk of human nature that some people can see
opportunities, while others only see problems. When you train your mind
to seek out opportunities, you will find that every day literally
presents you with more opportunities than you can take advantage of.
They will be all around you. Instead of your seeking opportunities, they
will seek you out. Your biggest problem will be choosing the best ones.
The first step in making sure you are ready to recognize opportunities
when they occur is to make sure you have a clear understanding of your
own core competencies. Realistically assess your strengths and
weaknesses as though you were reviewing the credentials of a total
stranger. Identify what areas you’re best in and those where you need
improvement. Work on your weaknesses and build upon your strengths so
that when you recognize opportunities you are prepared to capitalize
upon them.
When you treat your competitors with the courtesy and respect you
would like, most will respond in kind, and the result is a stable,
productive, profitable industry. On the other hand, an industry or
market that is composed of vicious, unethical competitors will soon
destroy itself. When you are asked how your products and services
compare with those of your competitors, speak respectfully and politely
about your rivals, but use the question to shift the discussion to your
company and your products.
Acknowledge others’ good points, and then move on. If you complain too
much about the competition, prospective customers may wonder what they
are missing and refuse to buy until they have compared your products and
services with those of others.
Worries, like sheep, seem to flock together. One worry leads to
another, and soon you are overwhelmed with the potential for problems.
When you allow yourself to play the "what if?" game-to speculate about
additional problems that one potential problem might cause-worries
multiply, each making the next seem worse.
If you must play the "what if?" game, play it to win. Focus on
solutions, not on the problems themselves and the additional problems
they might create. However serious your worries may seem when they
awaken you at midnight, if you analyze them carefully, you will find
that every problem has a solution.
