Beyond the Rhetoric

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.”

It is very common to hear people complaining about their lot in life. They’ll sit around, unhappy with their current situation, waiting for a life-changing opportunity to come knocking. Yes, luck definitely plays a role in how your life turns out, but the onus is also on you to be there when luck gives you that chance.

In the quote above, Milton Berle reminds us that luck smiles most brightly on those who put themselves in a position to accept said luck. How can opportunity come knocking if you don’t have a door ready to accept that opportunity? Put yourself in a situation where you have the best chance at success and work your way through it.

I’m not saying that you should necessarily seize every opportunity, since many of these can prove unfruitful and lead you to dead ends, but many of them can be very valuable and life-changing.

Speaking for myself, my freelance writing business isn’t doing quite as well this year as it has in previous years. Instead of waiting for my situation to improve, I’m looking for ways to build a door. For instance, I’m starting to focus a little more time and effort in generating passive income. For instance, I co-wrote a book with John Chow.

It’s too early to say whether that book will be much of a financial success, but I did put myself in a position where success is possible. If it doesn’t pan out, at least I can say that I tried. If it does work out, then my efforts will feel like they’ve been worth it.

Don’t wait around for good things to happen to you. Go out and make them happen.

Tags: key to success, memorable quotes, opportunity

Filed under Personal Development.