Everything is an Opportunity

Many of the leaders in my life can see opportunity in everything. I have always wondered how they got into that mindset. I have tried to ask the question, but it has never come out phrased in a way to get the answer leading me to that mindset.

Earlier this summer, I was signed up as an assistant coach for my son's first year playing baseball. Before the season began, I learned I was promoted from assistant coach to head coach. I was upset with this promotion. I looked at this promotion as ending everything I wanted to complete this summer. I quickly had to amend my reaction, as my discontent overshadowed my son's sheer excitement that I would be his coach.

Here is where the mindset began to shift. Coaching a team was the first time I had done this. I never coached a team and never played organized baseball. My challenge was going to be getting these eleven kids all working together.

Before our first practice, I had put together several events we could do based on the caliber of players on the team. The research into these events began to show the mindset. As the team had our first two practices, I saw each player's unique personality and skill level. I saw each kid as an opportunity to motivate and challenge themselves with the game of baseball. As we played against the other teams, the other coaches and I could see the improvement in the kids.

The mindset took hold. And it is now being applied to everyday activities. There is an opportunity every minute of every day. Am I using my time wisely? What could we learn from the situation we are currently in? What action can I take now to improve our minute/hour/day? Seeing the world through this lens has helped our family get through the less exciting tasks and on to the things that make us all happy.