Attempting to sell me on a new book, "the start-up of YOU", LinkedIn provided a free preview of a chapter. Perhaps you received the same email. Although the excerpt didn't necessarily tell me things that I didn't already know, it drove home some things that I've been wavering on recently. My rational self knows these things, but a succinct reminder never hurts:
"You won't encounter accidental good fortune - you won't stumble upon opportunities that rocket your career forward - if you're lying in bed. When you do something, you stir the pot and introduce the possibility that seemingly random ideas, people, and places will collide and form new combinations and opportunities."
"'Keeping your options open' is frequently more of a risk than committing to a plan of action. Many failures in results can be chalked up to people trying to keep their options open. Making a decision reduces opportunities in the short run, but increases opportunities in the long run."
I've been overwhelmed by the sheer number of possibilities in front of me - and I've been afraid to choose the wrong one. Depending on how you twist it, though, there may be no such thing as "wrong". Instead, if I don't hit a final destination on the first try, I can look at it as a stepping stone. A perspective that I've always managed to have in looking back on my life is not regretting any of my experiences. I can see how aspects of each one led me to greater and happier places. Now I need to employ that attitude in looking forward to prospective opportunities.
It just so happened that this elementary school in my neighborhood is rocking a sign that summed up this mindset perfectly. Thus, today's photo.
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