When Opportunity Knocks...

There are many versions of the phrase, "When opportunity knocks..."  I'm sure there are a lot of us there that have been in a predicament where we see an opportunity or one has been presented to us and we didn't answer for whatever reason.  "Hindsight is 20/20."  Another quote that is often used to describe how if we knew then what we know now, we would have made a different decision.  There was even a song that says, "I can see clearly now the rain is gone...I can see all obstacles in my way...It's gonna be a bright, bright sun shinny day."  When we look at our careers or what we would like for our careers as artists to be, we have to figure out when to take that first leap of faith to start going down the path towards our goals.  That's the hardest part.  It's like working out, we make a decision in our head that we are going to take off that nagging ten pounds (or twenty, thirty...hey I'm not judging, but I digress.)  We come up with the time line of how many weeks it will take us to lose it (preferably right before summer), what gym we will join, then go buy at least five new, cute workout outfits.  (We can't be seen in the gym looking crazy!)  So all the prep work is done, now the only thing left to do is take the first step in the door.  They generally place gyms next to establishments that have high traffic like banks, shopping malls, restaurants, Weight Watchers (at least that's what my gym is next to), but it's something about that gym door that intimidates us.  We know that what's inside of it will expose who we really are.  It will embarrass us!  Because once you open that door, there are HUGE mirrors in front of you that show you exactly what you need to see.  It will show that we haven't done anything that falls in line with what we said we wanted.  We've been making up all kinds of excuses to walk around the gym, look past it and act like we don't see it while we are constantly headed to stores, banks and restaurants.  But what a lot of us fail to realize is that the feeling is only temporary, that's until you decide to change it.  Once we open that "two hundred pound door", we will find that it will be challenging, that we will be tired and sad looking around at all the folks around us who are running at 7.8 on the treadmill and showing off their results.  But the reality is that those same people we're comparing ourselves to, had a starting point as well.  The majority did not walk inside with their six pack intact and ability to run six miles without passing out.  They had to work hard consistently to get to their goals and then they have to maintain their success by continuing to do the things that got them there in the first place.  This is the same for an artist.  Too many times we talk about what we want to do with our gift, come up with all sorts of elaborate plans, but that's where are dreams stay...in our heads.  My bestie Leslie Green has often said in her presentations that her opportunity didn't come wrapped in the package she thought it would.  It didn't look like what she envisioned her opportunity to look like, however, it has turned out to be the blessing she has prayed for.  As an artist, your opportunity may be that open mic you passed up or that chance to submit one of your songs to a competition.  Maybe it's the chance to teach your art to others, you never know, the point is there is "more than one way to skin a cat."  You never know who's listening and could have significant impact on your future.  Don't get in your own way by letting what you thought was your path to success, that didn't work out, discourage you from driving towards your dreams.  Nobody said it would be easy, so when your opportunity knocks make sure you kick that door down!  See you on the stage!