Possibilities to Pursue, and Opportunities to Succeed
“Turn your obstacles into opportunities and your problems into possibilities.”
– Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart
Last week, we talked about how we all have a choice in the way we respond to stress – we can either let it get the best of us, or we can have the courage to tackle it head on with our best coping strategies. This week’s topic, opportunity and possibility, also relates to the choices we make. As the quote above implies, our choices and our positive mindset can determine whether something is an obstacle or an opportunity, a problem or a possibility.
While opportunities and possibilities both involve choices, there are subtle differences between the two. Opportunities are things that can happen as a result of our choices and circumstances in which we choose to engage. Possibilities are things that could happen, often relating to our dreams and aspirations, and depending on the actions we choose to take.
But we may have concerns that keep us from pursuing our opportunities and possibilities to the fullest extent. We may be worried about potential failure, the perceptions of others, or venturing outside our comfort zone. In such cases, we need to find a way to get “unstuck” and take positive action.
For help getting unstuck, here are five tools to embrace possibility thinking:
CHALLENGE YOUR EXISTING BELIEFS about what you can and can’t do.
BE OPEN-MINDED about what is possible.
DREAM BIG. If you had no constraints on your time, talent, or treasures, what would you be doing?
THINK IN VISIONARY TERMS. Allow yourself to think outside the box. What lights you up? What fills your soul?
COMMIT, DON'T QUIT. Make a commitment, and take the first step, no procrastinating. Shift your energy away from what you don't want, to what you do want.
When you engage in positive thinking, you can look at both opportunities and possibilities as chances to grow, learn, and succeed. So, when opportunity knocks or possibilities pop into your head, you owe it to your growth-mindset self to consider your options in a more positive light. Instead of “How might I fail?” try “How might I succeed?”
And at Courage to Caregivers, as we wind down this year, we’re looking at all of the opportunities and possibilities we have to serve YOU better in the coming years. Stay tuned!