It's a warm, sunny morning in Sarasota and there's a man on a wire twenty stories above me.
This isn't a dream, it's not a hallucination – it's the real thing. Nik Wallenda is walking a tightrope between the Sunset Towers condos and the Ritz Carton hotel. I join my neighbors and we gawked as he walks, dances, even lays down for a break on the tightrope – right above our heads. I've never seen anything like it and my stomach does flip-flops the entire time. I try not to think of gusty winds or tiny slips – I'm captivated. There's no net between Nik and terra firma.
Nik makes it safely, triumphantly, to the other side and confidently does a little jig before stepping off the wire. The crowd cheers, Nik waves and bows, and we're all thrilled he made it across. He's accomplished something that most of never will dare to do. Good for him!
As I walked home I thought about what I just witnessed. How many times would I ever see something like this again? I wasn't planning on going to this event – I saw the newspaper headlines and realized that it was happening and in just a few minutes. This was opportunity knocking. I started to ignore it, but something told me to go, to experience this, to take advantage of something incredible right outside my condo door. I'm so glad I did.
Some opportunities require the combination of many things: a vision, experience, planning, and cooperation of others – like Wallenda's challenge. Other opportunities are right in front of us and require just a little action, desire, and the agreement of engagement. What opportunities are being presented to you? What opportunities can you seize today, right now? Look for opportunities to enrich your life, to move you closer to your goal, or to experience something wonderful. Opportunities abound.
