Making Things Happen!

I am a great believer of creating your own luck and opportunities. 

How do you create more of this? Simply start by listing down what you want to achieve in the coming years. Be clear on what you want or areas of life you want. Place yourself in those situations, always be on the look out. Don't be dismissive of opportunities that may be not quite the direction but can teach you, give your growth and exposure to get you to the next step. 

Don't be afraid to be doing several things at once and feel also that you need a label. The most common question I get asked is, what do you do? As if that should define everything you are. I actually do and am involved in many things so not simply defined by one. 

Be always on the look out! Put yourself out there too. Let it be known you would like opportunities. 

Never give up! You hear this a lot but it is very true. For some opportunities, you just need that ONE! Don't be scared also to try new things. You won't know if it is something you like, till you do. 

Follow your heart! Another cliché I know but seriously, there is a reason you want to live in Japan or want to be a police officer. These were friends of mine who had said from some time, "I want to live in Japan" (this guys worked in IT and was from Glasgow), no links to Japan but just felt a strong pull. He would spend a lot of money on books on Japan so one day, I just said, what do you need to make this happen? Well, he replied, I need £2000 to a fund a TEFL course so I can teach English in Japan. Right, I said, that then needs to happen. Weirdly enough, a week later, he told me a colleague had offered that he can stay rent free in a room of their house, he told me he turned it down. Why, I asked? You do realise if you took this up, it means you can save up for the £2000 you need. He agreed that was a good point, so went back to the colleague and took the room. He then went on the course. This was around 17 years ago and he is now living in Tokyo, Japan, married to a Japanese lady with two children and teaching English! 

Another example, was someone else I know, whilst we were playing a game of pool, was saying just how much he wanted to be a police officer. At the time, he was working for a UK supermarket and had done so for a number of years. I asked like with my other friend, what do you need to make this happen. I can start he said as a PCSO officer (police community support officer), so after our chat, he then signed up as that. Starting off tagging bikes to stop them being stolen for the local community in Manchester after doing that for a bit, he is became a police officer and still is!  

They have both said if I hadn't encouraged them and pushed them to do it, they wouldn't have gone for it. Literally life changing for them. I know and feel that you can do the same. Just go for it!