By Virginia Mburu
Opportunities....
Mwakazi-the
Passionate Entrepreneur and owner; Makao Interior Designers was still pondering
over the tips on how to change those habits that were limiting his progress.
He
thought about the many opportunities he had missed like the contract he lost
when he did not submit his proposal in time...ouch! Well, he needed a few tips
in this area and Mark came in handy through his writing in Mark
10: 46-52. By the end of this reading, he had enough tips to get him back on
course as under;
Tip 1.....Have
an eagle vision...
A super clarity on what you want will enable
you recognize an opportunity in your market. Bartimaeus - who was blind from
birth had suffered greatly as a result of his blindness. We see him begging along
the streets of Jericho. You can therefore imagine how much he longed to “see”.
The gift of sight would relieve him of the shame of begging, restore his dignity, land him a
noble way of earning an income, a family etc. What about being able to enjoy the many sights
he could hear people talking about?
His need was clear and he was categorical about it in verse 50-51; -“Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."
His need was clear and he was categorical about it in verse 50-51; -“Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."
He longed to see all his life and that made it easy to recognize when an
opportunity presented itself. As for you, are you clearly and certainly aware
what you really want? Do you seriously yearn for it from the deep depth of your
heart? You had better be otherwise you will not be able to....
Tip 2.....Be
on the look-out.....
for the opportunity that can move you
towards your vision. In verse 46 and part
of 47, we
are told that...
“Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging”. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth,.....”
“Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging”. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth,.....”
For Bartimaeus, this was an opportunity that
had presented itself. He had heard of other people who received sight through
the miracles that Jesus performed in places he visited.This was his life-changing moment!
What
about you Passionate Entrepreneur? Are you on the lookout for an opportunity or are you concentrating on
the many problems you are going through and missing the bus?
Or possibly you are just waiting for the
opportunity to come knocking in which case Milton Berle has a perfect solution-
“If opportunity doesn't knock, build a
door.”
Move out of your comfort zone and build the opportunities! If you have an offline store, what about building an online store, or another branch or agent in another location etc.?
Move out of your comfort zone and build the opportunities! If you have an offline store, what about building an online store, or another branch or agent in another location etc.?
Tip 3.....Curiosity
is your friend
Blind Bartimaeus listened and possibly asked
about what was going on not only in Jericho but in the vicinity. THat is how he knew thatit
was none other than Jesus the Miracle Worker coming towards him.
What about
you? Are you asking, listening and
gathering information as to what is happening in your industry and market? What
does it means to you and your business?
Unlike Blind Bartimaeus, you can observe the changes in the environment
you are operating in.
What is happening in the political, economic, social, technological (PEST scan) arenas that you can take advantage of?
What is happening in the political, economic, social, technological (PEST scan) arenas that you can take advantage of?
Create a huge network of relevant
information sources- people, events, training material etc. such that you
realize when a shift is about to occur. You will them be well positioned to
know the
right time to act , the right
decision to make, the right resources,
the right support you need etc.
Tip 4....Be
a risk taker and a quick planner....
Blind Bartimaeus had never seen Jesus. He had
only heard about him and his fame and now he had to take a risk that Jesus was
truly the one passing by.
He also was not even certain that he was to be the recipient of a miracle... but he took the risk and in verse 47, “...he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
He also was not even certain that he was to be the recipient of a miracle... but he took the risk and in verse 47, “...he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
He must have done a quick SWOT analysis!
He identified his strengths (his voice which he had honed as he begged), his opportunity (Jesus), his weaknesses (blindness, fear of the crowd or his cloak which could hinder his speed) and his threat (his competitors comprising of all those others who wanted a miracle or the crowd that wanted to hang around Jesus).
He identified his strengths (his voice which he had honed as he begged), his opportunity (Jesus), his weaknesses (blindness, fear of the crowd or his cloak which could hinder his speed) and his threat (his competitors comprising of all those others who wanted a miracle or the crowd that wanted to hang around Jesus).
He
then drew a quick action plan... Keep shouting above everybody else!
Tip 5.....Get
to work... quickly...
After that quick SWOT analysis, Bartimaeus swung
into action and boldly made his intentions known to the right person who could heal him of his blindness. No hesitation... no
over-analyzing..... as he knew this window of opportunity was only open for a short time and
the competition stiff.
Opportunities are
open to many. Slow down a little and another person will take advantage of it. Mind you, you will have to work extra hard,
shout more etc. not forgetting that you
still have other work on your hands.
At times, some people miss the boat here as Thomas Edison reminds us that “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work”.
At times, some people miss the boat here as Thomas Edison reminds us that “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work”.
Tip 6.....Have
faith, be bold and courageous
In Verse 48, we are told that “Many rebuked him and
told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have
mercy on me!" Wow, don’t we all need that tenacity that will
get us to the finish line despite all the frustrations and discouragement?
Someone did take note of Bartimaues' efforts and responded for in verse 49, we
are told that “Jesus stopped and said,
"Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your
feet! He's calling you." Yes,
the very same people who were rebuking him were now giving him way to meet his
opportunity!
So will your naysayers once you persist and start progressing. While at it , have great faith that this is your opportune moment!
So will your naysayers once you persist and start progressing. While at it , have great faith that this is your opportune moment!
Tip 7.....Be
ready for a change.....
Bartimaeus received the long awaited
miracle as recorded in verse 52- "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed
you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.”
Did you
also note that he changed career from Blind Beggar Bartimaeus to Jesus Follower
Bartimaeus?
As you do your quick SWOT analysis, factor in
how the realization of the opportunity may change your lifestyle. Are you ready
for the change?
Over to you Passionate
Entrepreneur;
- How do you take advantage of sudden opportunities?
- How did you miss others?
Share your experiences, suggestions or questions
in the comments section below. Who knows- You could probably be the beneficiary
of the next successful opportunity!
Whatever you do, make sure it results in less
work, more money and positive impact.
Update
Virginia Mburu
Passionate Entrepreneurs Coach
Virginia empowers and motivates Passionate
Entrepreneurs to realize their purpose and pursue it. She then assists the
entrepreneurs to clarify, prioritise and focus on management and marketing
strategies and action plans that will get them to work less, make more money
and positively impact within one year. Access some of her gifts- absolutely free lessons on biasharacoach.blospot.co.ke
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