A LESSON ON OPPORTUNITY!
First Edition
By Addie Heflin
under construction
SCENARIO:
Opportunity knocks on your door. You open your door, happy to see that the Opportunity has finally decided to call upon you. When Opportunity walks right in, go ahead and take it! However, this Opportunity is taking it's sweet time walking through the doorway. What do you do?
DO NOT:
- Say any of, or anything similar to, the following: "I'm not getting any younger!"; "Can we hurry this up, please?"; "Hehe, um, are we gonna do this or what?" Doing so may result in a LOSS of Opportunity! Any of the aforementioned statements could scare, humiliate, or further discourage Opportunity. So the question is - is your thoughtlessness worth the risk?
DO NOT:
- Give Opportunity an Ultimatum. This will threaten your Opportunity, and you will most likely lose it! There is a chance that you will be successful with your Opportunity using this method, but more Opportunity after the immediate success is not as likely, and further chances decrease exponentially as you continue using this method. So, the question is - is your impatience worth the risk?
DO NOT:
- Poke and prod Opportunity to hurry them along. Let Opportunity go at it's own pace. Any suggestion that you are WAITING for them to JUST GO will significantly decrease your Opportunity, and may even chase it away. So the question is - is your recklessness worth the risk?
BE CAREFUL:
- Coaxing and suggestion can be useful to entice Opportunity to come in, however, use should be executed by those who know what they are doing! Using the wrong type of coaxing, suggestion, or persuasion could alter your Opportunity. Opportunity is very delicate, and should you impose an opportunity on Opportunity itself, why, then you may end up with a completely different Opportunity!
BE CAREFUL:
- Using the line "If you do [insert Opportunity], then I'll do [insert favor]" could be very tricky; be careful not to use an Ultimatum! A similar favor in return might do the trick, just be careful that your Opportunity doesn't get caught up in your end of your proposition! Opportunity may then wish to wait for an extended period of time, before returning with the same conditions as before. Opportunity may decide to never return with the same conditions, but instead, may impose new conditions on you immediately! Try not to do offer anything that would distract Opportunity from the original purpose. Keep your end of the deal simple; and keep your eye on the ball.
BE CAREFUL:
- If Opportunity tries to switch the deal around - if you do this, THEN they will do that - this is where you need a lot of experience to successfully navigate through that sticky situation! Use logic and reasoning - You couldn't possibly do this before they do that! It just wouldn't make sense! If that doesn't work, your best bet is coaxing and suggestion. Be sweet. Be gentle. If you must sweeten their end of the deal to make it work, constantly remind them of what the Opportunity is there for. "If you do this, I will [insert lots of adjectives and nouns]. After you do this, we can [insert same]. I will [insert same], once you do this." However, be careful when using this technique. Make sure that your Opportunity remains secure and comfortable - not pressured!
When Opportunity knocks, but is hesitant to enter, beware! Never think of the Opportunity as confident! This type of Opportunity is more like a nervous child... You want to make sure that Opportunity is as comfortable and secure as possible, lest you wish to lose it. Try to avoid thoughtlessness, insensitivity, impatience, or general jerk-like behaviour. Think before you say, or do, anything, and you may reap the full benefits of your Opportunity! And be warned: if any of these items are used, on accident or otherwise, it could result in loss of Opportunity, even if you have been gentle and careful up to that point. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, but these are just a few guidelines to go by. A Lesson on Opportunity! Second Edition will be released at a later date.
