How To Create Your Own Good Fortune

There is value in staying focused on your goals, but this shouldn’t mean shutting other doors.  When you limit yourself, you also limit your chances of success.  Be open to new people and new ideas.  Be a “yes girls” who is willing to give so many things a shot.  Don’t pass up a good prospect just because it is not exactly what you wanted – it might turn out to be a small detour that will eventually take you places.

You can purposefully make connections by joining an interest club or an online forum.  On the other hand, chance encounters can also serendipitously lead to big things.  A Facebook friend might know a director who can give you an acting gig or your best friend’s older sister’s boyfriend might co-own a bar your band can play at with your magnificent keiko abe.  The people you meet every day – both online and offline – can lead to many different opportunities, so don’t hesitate to promote your causes and prospects.

Keep up with current trends by seeing what other people in your field are doing and finding out if there are new tools, such as gadgets or software, that will be useful to you.  Look up like-minded people whom you can collaborate with.  Doing your research can also help you with an important thing: timing.  (If you’ve ever asked your parents for a “big” thing, such as permission to go on your first out-of-town trip with friends, you know what a difference the right timing makes!)

Make the most of your strongest talents.  Knowing which cards to play will give you better chances of success.  You can’t open a fantastic pastry shop if you don’t know the first thing about baking!  It’s never too late though – if you feel that you still lack the skills to accomplish your lifelong dreams, then work on them.  You can join a workshop or apprentice with a professional.  Remember to pursue something you love, because your passion for it will sustain you and keep you going when the going gets tough.

Be proactive, not passive!  Instead of just waiting for opportunities to come to you, search through Google or buy the Sunday paper.  If you dream of being a model, find out if there are upcoming go-sees or if any modeling agencies can take you in as their talent.  Want to become a professional photographer? Put an online portfolio.

Sheer willpower and a go-getting attitude will get you far.  Surround yourself with positive energy, and that includes surrounding yourself with people who support and believe in you.  Do listen to sound advice, which sometimes means constructive criticism, but keep your detractors at bay.  And speaking of naysayers, don’t be one.  The first person who should be convinced that success is in the cards for you?  Not a psychic or a tarot card reader, but YOU!

Your intuition is important – listen to it!  But remember that your gut feel should guide you in making decisions, not stop your from trying something out.  Learn or distinguish when you feel it’s a bad idea, and when you simply feel afraid to take the plunge.   It’s normal, even healthy, to get the occasional butterflies in your stomach.  I fact, if you’re a hundred percent confident about what you’re doing, you might want to think it through one more time.

Maybe you don’t really believe in karma as a religious concept, and that’s okay.  This isn’t about spiritual beliefs, but simply about idea that we reap what we sow.  It certainly won’t hurt to be kind an play nice.  Do some volunteer work and be a role model to your younger siblings.  If you spread goodness, there’s reason to believe that the universe will throw good things back your way.

Smart investors and good business people know that high risks can lead to high rewards.  As the ancient saying goes, fortune favors the brave.  It is understandable if you want to be certain that everything will go as planned – everyone does!  But if you keep playing it safe, you will never get very far.  Sure, you will get consistently safe results, but why not aim much higher?  Take a gamble or two – it might pay off in ways you never expected!