Opportunity: Suit up and Show up...at Your Best

"Dig the well before you are thirsty."

~~Chinese proverb~~

My post called "When Opportunity Knocks..." (April 2008), has been one of my most popular posts.  I'd like to expand that idea in this post with tips on what to do while you're waiting for an opportunity to turn up. 

In the next post, I'll talk about what to do after the opportunity has arrived. 

Photo (c) iStockphoto/Marek Uliasz

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

~~Martin Luther King, Jr.~~ 

So, let's take a look at what we can do to prepare for an opportunity, even when we don't know what it looks like or when it'll show up!  First, we have to accept the facts that we don't know what or when or how..  We need to go with the flow; if we're too precise, we'll interfere with the process. 

On the other hand, we don't want to run after every shiny object.  We each need to ask ourselves this question:

Am I looking for an opportunity in areas that support 

my over-arching goals?

If you're still fuzzy about this, try author Mike Dooley's idea:

"If you don't know what it is you want to do,

keep doing what you're doing, but do it better."

Some of you may pull away from Dooley's idea. you may think, "Why would I do that?  This is the situation I want to get out of!"

Yes, I understand.  But the Universe is looking for someone worthy of the opportunity and appreciative of what he or she already has. 

Also it keeps you out and about where opportunities abound!  I've never heard of anyone jumping up and shouting, "There it is!  Now I know what my opportunity is!"  while watching a television commercial about a new brand of disposable baby diapers. 

Take this waiting time to keep your skills up to date, so you can easily leverage them at a moment's notice.  Continue with your life-long learning in areas that interest you...a new craft, a new sport, or a new language, or another favorite.

Here's a great real-life example of how this works: Many years ago, before Apple, Steve Jobs took a calligraphy class just because he found it to be fascinating.  Years later, he used that experience to make Apple the first company to offer a selection of various fonts on a home computer!  

Remember to keep your soft skills active, also...people skills, intuition, and a great sense of humor, just to mention a few.

Photo (c) iStockphoto/Janne Ahvo

Gather up all the patience you can muster.  Waiting for your opportunity may take longer than you expect.  We don't have the ability to see the opportunity as it's developing, so we must trust the flow of life. 

How you interact with others is another important area to shape up in while you're waiting for the opportunity that has your name on it.  Let others around you know that you're going to be upgrading many aspects of your life in preparation for an opportunity to make an even larger change.  

You may want to consider doing some volunteer work in one or two areas of interest to you.  While you're helping others, you're also meeting new people, and maintaining great people skills.

Photo (c) iStockphoto/Brian Jackson

Networking has similar advantages.  Let your fellow networkers know what your interests are, so they can spread the word for you, and you can be on the look-out for ways you can help them.

Photo (c) iStockphoto/Jacob Wackerhausen

Readers, please weigh in on this one!  If you have suggestions, questions, or experiences, we'd all love to hear them.  If you don't like to write on-line, you can email me privately here.  I'll use your address only to respond to your comments.  I do not share my readers' email addresses.

Remember, next time I'll be writing about what happens after your opportunity shows up.  Your comments to this post will help me direct the next one more specifically to what you want to know!

Thanks,

Susan

The Great-Life Advocate (TM)

                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~Odds and Ends~~

Photo (c) iStockphoto/Denise Kappa

Would you like to set up a complimentary exploratory interview with me?

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Courage         Creativity        Gratitude

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*** All of Susan's creative4life posts are (c) Susan Cleaver. ***

*** Member of the TriCounty Community Network, at www.tcnetwork.org *** 

Authenticity Invites Creativity, Joy, and Like-Minded Patrons

The Ease of Authenticity

Signs and symptoms of authenticity:

• You attract the right projects and ideas because your authenticity makes you a worthy steward or vessel for them.
• Your need for self-expression is satisfied because you're creating what you love, not just what a fickle market supposedly wants.
• You're using less energy and causing less stress for yourself because you are going with the flow of the Law of Attraction (see http://www.thesecret.tv/).
• You attract the patrons who are aligned with the "real you."
• You definitely enjoy your work and even your marketing and networking more!

...But It Takes Practice

I'm a big fan of the intuitive Belleruth Naparstek (http://www.healthjourneys.com/) About ten years ago, I attended one of her workshops. She had lots of great stories, including this one about authenticity.

Belleruth said that she was at a conference listening to an inspiring speaker encouraging the group to be more authentic by aligning everything they think, feel, say, and do. Belleruth thought this was a great idea and adopted it on the spot. Or so she thought.

The next speaker at the conference did not appeal to her at all, and she was planning her escape when the person next to her said, "Isn't she wonderful?!" Belleruth whispered back, "Yes!"

As she was relating the story to us, she said, "I lasted three minutes!" So don't beat yourself up if your efforts to become more authentic take some time.

Our Many Masks

How do we get off track so easily, as Belleruth did above? Why is it so hard to just be ourselves?

I believe our cultural programing and coping mechanisms have a lot to do with it. Here are some of the masks we commonly see:

• The People-Pleaser
• The Intimidator
• The "Nothing Bothers Me" Mask
• The Brick Wall
• The Tough Guy or Gal
• The Perfectionist

Do whatever you need to do to get rid of these masks. As a coach I may be able to help you drop the ones you have. Email me at scleaver@dejazzd.com to try out an introductory session with my compliments by phone.

If the problem is deeply entrenched and/or was brought on by a trauma, you may need to find a good therapist to help.

Sweat Happens

There are lots of so-called "resources" out there that tell you exactly how to "get ahead" by being inauthentic. "Never let 'em see you sweat!" they say. Well, I have sweated buckets, and if someone else can learn from my mistakes, I would rather share them than hide them!

I saw an article the other day about the so-called "correct posturing" when decorating your office. They suggested putting books on the shelf that will give the impression that you are studying your way to the top. And heaven forbid (heavy sarcasm is mine), don't let it show that you're a well-rounded human being by having too many family photos around! I think these folks need to join...

Chameleons Anonymous

Authentic work is not one-size-fits-all. You risk turning (even ticking) some people off, but it's a risk you must take. (It's not easy for a recovering people-pleaser like me!) But how can anyone resonate with the "real you" they never see it? There will always be those who don't "get" your work. Let it be OK.

People can sense insincerity and insecurity (from working too hard to hide your "true colors") a mile away. Chameleons are cool-looking creatures, but it doesn't serve us to act like them in our creative work, networking, or marketing!

Recommended Sites for Authentic Marketing

• http://www.authenticpromotion.com/
• http://www.joyfulmarketing.com/
• http://www.marketingontheplayground.com/

Here's hoping you'll see the "real you" in all your work!

All my best,

Susan

Creative Community

Diversity and Choice

I'd like to start with a few things that creative community is NOT. First of all, it is not limited to what we normally consider the "arts." Putting together a rewarding life for yourself is the creative framework for all else that you do! This can include the arts, but could also include many other things such as parenting or running a business.

Secondly, creative community is not limited to traditional networking at breakfast meetings, etc. Some folks love these and find them very helpful. Others find them to be an unnatural fit for their style.

Technology's Role

If you found your way to this blog, you probably already know what a boon the Internet has been for networking and support communities of all types. And you can often enter into joint ventures with no concern for your JV partner's geographic location!

Modern phone technology, which allows for inexpensive conference calling, can be used for all sorts of group experiences, including brainstorming, classes, Q and A, interviews, and demonstrations.

The Right Fit

Having fun loosens you up and opens the door to your creativity, so be sure to choose a community that provides this for you. Forget about what you've heard you "should" be doing, and involve yourself with others in ways that you feel enthusiastic about.

What I love about community is the amazing synergy that comes out of a group in which the individuals have moved past "What's in it for me?" and have shifted as a group to "What's in it for us and for those we serve?"

Other Things to Love About Creative Community

• companionship
• advice and mentoring
• circulation of information, methods, ideas, and techniques
• feedback
• encouragement
• inspiration
• intuitive input from others
• a safety net
• a venue for beta testing
• sounding boards

Dig-In Days

My friend and fellow entrepreneur, Mary Beth Krawchuk and I set several hours a week aside to "dig in" to our work while supplying structure, accountability, focus, and support for each other by phone at the beginning and end of each work hour. Many months ago when we first began, Mary Beth said, "I got more done on this project in this hour than I have in the past month!"

Give it a try with a friend or email me at scleaver@dejazzd.com. I can always use another accountability buddy!

Start Our Own Community? Why Not?!

Please scan this post again to see what kinds of support you need and how you might support others. Please leave a comment or email me at scleaver@dejazzd.com with your ideas, questions, quandaries, etc. My goal is to have creative4life become a nurturing community for those of us in any creative arena. (That is, just about all of us!)

Thank you,

Susan