When the Door of Opportunity Opens

By: Chris Widener

Anybody can achieve anything. Do you believe that? I do.

But there is a caveat that must be made. Those who become successful are those who walk through the door of opportunity when it swings open. That we know. But what is the secret to getting through the door of opportunity?

Being outside the door when it swings open.

As the story goes, Frank Sinatra got his big break while working as a waiter. One day, he was waiting tables, when who does he see sitting in the restaurant but one of the biggest names in the music industry. So Ol’ Blue Eyes did the unbelievable: He cleared off a table next to the gentleman, and got on top and sang! He knew he was done at the restaurant for doing so, but how many times would this door of opportunity open? Needless to say, but the rest is history.

A stagehand for Kenny G was in the auditorium with him one day, just the two of them, when the stagehand started to play Kenny’s songs on the piano. Kenny didn’t even know the guy could play the piano. Guess who the lead keyboardist for Kenny G is now! You got it!

You see, you never know when the door of opportunity is going to open wide. For some, their big break comes early in life, and for others, it comes later. But for everyone who has succeeded, there is one key similarity: They were ready. And for every one who was ready, there were thousands more who weren’t.

So the principle is: Be ready! Are you ready? Here are some thoughts for you to consider:

Are your skills as sharp as they could be? Are they ready so that when your shot comes you can perform?

Is your character deep enough to handle success? Let’s face it: You don’t want big success if your character won’t be able to handle it.

Are you working hard to position yourself now? Your job while waiting for the door to open should be developing your skills and your character so that you can position yourself to get through the door before it closes.

Your door will open someday; it opens for everyone. It may only open once, or it may open many times. It’s different for everyone, and life just isn’t fair that way. But everybody gets a shot. Will you be ready?
When that huge door of opportunity opens up, will you be able to boldly walk through it?

Do everything you can to be ready. Don’t just sit and wish and dream. Be proactive, and make sure that you are the most qualified when the door opens. Make sure that you are the hardest worker. Make sure you are the closest to the door.

When it opens, be ready!

Chris Widener is a businessman, author, speaker and television host. A prolific writer and producer of CDs and DVDs, his most recent book is The Art of Influence. Widener is the host of the national interview show, Made For Success, and co-host of True Performance with Zig Ziglar. The Chris Widener newsletter is one of the most widely distributed on personal and professional development. Visit his website for more information.