By: Douglas J Utberg

When engaged in the regular news cycle, it can become very easy to develop a cynical demeanor.  After all, there are so many problems in the world, and nothing seems to be getting better.  People who read “The Business of Life” are well aware of my concerns regarding the future of our financial and political wellbeing.  However, all of these concerns must be placed in the context of tremendous opportunities that exist, even in spite of problems and difficulty.

Consider that even the most downtrodden and poverty stricken among the people in America (or the entire western world for that matter) have more opportunity at their fingertips than approximately 80% of the world’s population.  This is not to diminish the difficulty that people experience in their lives, but rather to emphasize the magnitude of opportunity that is afforded to people by the simple nature of where they live.

The elusive aspect of this opportunity is the fact that it does not come to find you.  It will not stop you in the alley and mug you.  Nobody will randomly walk up to you in the street and hand you a bag of money.  (Or if they do, you should be very concerned about what will happen next.)  The opportunity waiting for discovery underneath your feet must be actively pursued.

This is the step in our path to prosperity where most people fall down.  Many are unwilling to put forth the effort that is necessary to achieve success.  Some are willing to expend the effort, but are afraid of working toward a goal whose achievement is uncertain.  In addition to this, there are others who become so obsessed with success that they sacrifice other meaningful and fulfilling facets of life, simply for the sake of greater material achievement.

The trick with seizing opportunity is to understand that success is much more holistic than simple material possessions, fame, or other external symbols of status.  In this way, the point of emphasis shifts from what ‘can’ I achieve to what ‘should’ I achieve?  Specifically, what am I willing to sacrifice for the sake of achievement, and what is so important to me that I will accept a lower level of material achievement for the purpose of preserving it?  In many cases, people who have families will pass over opportunities for career advancement because of a desire to avoid spending too much time away from their spouse and children.

Thus, we see that a ‘real’ understanding of success must be inclusive of both what we can accomplish with the opportunities before us, and what we choose to pursue, because of the conscious decisions that we have made about the course of our lives.  The real secret that most people fail to grasp is that our lives are evaluated by standards that we create.  Many people unconsciously adopt the standards used by their associates or the mainstream media, but that does not change the fact that each person is ultimately accountable to themselves.

We see that a world of opportunity is really set out before our feet.  The only relevant question is whether we are willing to take the necessary action to turn that opportunity into reality, and whether we have developed the intellectual and emotional maturity to direct our achievement toward a definite end and purpose, instead of a blind lust for ‘more’.

In the end, life comes down to a competition against ourselves.  The thoughts of our minds manifest into actions and circumstances.  The ability to shape this reality has always been in our grasp.  If there is one thing that any of us can do to positively impact our lives, it is to train ourselves to think and act in a manner that consistently pushes us closer to our personal vision of success.