How to make the most of your opportunities.

Post 451 - If we’re casual about what we do, we risk ending up a casualty. Many people spend so much time talking, grieving and being angry about the closed doors in their lives, they don’t see the open doors. Les Brown, a human-potential expert, says our trials and disappointments can take us to a door of discovery and greatness if we follow these suggestions:

- Be Thankful.
There's no better opportunity to receive more than to be thankful for what you already have. It’s easy to think about what’s missing and to ignore what you have. When you develop an attitude of gratitude, you begin to view things from a positive light and start working toward making something constructive happen. Giving up should never be an option.

- Be Thoughtful.
When things go wrong, don’t go with them. As you look at yourself, you have to harness your will, you have to be grounded, you have to pause and look inside. You have to clear your head and give yourself permission to accept the reality that’s happening. And then turn the page and start working toward where you’ll go from there.

- Be Active.
Keep moving. Start with small steps and build from there. When you’re not active and you’re not engaged with life, you’ve a tendency to worry and regret and to entertain other less-than-positive emotions. It’s very important that you start moving and working and doing things that can help you make some headway. The more active you are, the less chance you have of getting depressed, angry and immobilized by fear.

- Be Connected.
Often, people fail because they can’t see the picture when they’re in the frame. They think there’s no way out. These people are disconnected and feel isolated and desperate. But interacting with others provides a number of benefits, including helping to find new paths and new ideas to explore.

- Be Patient.
Don’t expect instant results. Plug away carefully and consistently, and keep believing that things are going to get better even though you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. We’re living in a microwave society where we expect instant results. But the real world doesn’t always work like that. Patience and a spirit of expectation and trust will help you work to reach your goals and dreams.

Mario Andretti reminds us that, “Circumstances may cause interruptions and delays, but never lose sight of your goal. Prepare yourself in every way you can by increasing your knowledge and adding to your experience, so that you can make the most of opportunity when it occurs.”

According to Eric Chester, the seven As - the core values that lead to success at work, are:

* Attitude – stay pumped, positive and enthusiastic, even when you have to do the crummy jobs.

* Attendance – You can’t succeed if you don’t show up. Be there, and be on time.

* Appearance – Your image is important to you. Your company’s image is important to its owners. So look and act like a professional when you’re on company time.

* Ambition – Learn all you can and do the absolute best that you can in everything you do. Be a relentless learner and a determined achiever.

* Accountability – There’s no right way to do a wrong thing. Never let anyone or anything sway you from doing the right thing.

* Acceptance – You don’t always get to pick the people you work with or work for. Whoever they are, accept them as your teammates.

* Appreciation – It’s the customers that ultimately sign your paycheck. Be grateful and give them your absolute best.

The real opportunity for success lies in the person and not in the job.