Who Sets Your Opportunity Clock?

I recall hearing Zig Ziglar many years ago, discussing the "alarm clocks" in our lives.
Ziglar, being a salesman, was never lacking for a catchy slogan. The difference though is that he used his skills to change people’s lives. When you listen to Zig, you will walk away inspired and riveted. I even remember an occasion when he advised his audience not to come up after his presentation just to tell him of the "nice warm feeling" his words provided you! His reply would likely be to recommend going home and taking a nice warm bath! He would certainly rather hear of the actions inspred by his words!

As I consider Zig’s view of alarm clocks, he points out that alarms are intended to caution us, to warn of dangers, like fire alarms, burglar alarms and such! The alarm goes off when something bad has happened, right? Why think of the beginning of your day as a bad thing? The beginning of your day is an Opportunity to do great things! The function of an alarm clock is to scare us into punctuality, a fairly negative way to begin the adventures ahead for us today!

As an opportunity clock, it signals a new dawn in our life and sets the day in motion. The fact that we go to bed at night and wake up in the morning is nothing short of a miracle. Where was the guarantee that we would wake up? Should we not make the best use of the outcome of this miracle?

When we apply the "opportunity clock" metaphor, it can change our lives. We will no longer wake up in the morning cursing at the clock for disrupting our sleep, pounding the snooze button, or throwing the clock across the room!. Personally, it has helped me to see life from a new perspective. Here are 3 suggestions to follow as a matter of discipline on waking up to the opportunity clock:

*Acknowledge the divine – The miracle could have happened only through some divine intervention. Our first order of business is to acknowledge the divine who continues to breathe into each of us life and makes the connecteion to the surrounding universe.

*Smile – For me, this was not difficult. I began practicing this aspect of smiling at everyone I encounter! Many folks practice smiling into a mirror as soon as they wake up.We each must understand that our health and wealth, knowledge and power are all in our hands. Wake up knowing that you are not alone but connected to a powerhouse of abundance.

*First things first – Perhaps we could map out three or four activities to be done in the first couple of hours of the day. Even if they are routine, we should go through a mental review. This action gets us on our feet and also puts the much needed mental energy needed for the initial surge. It gives us confidence and interest to pursue the activities and then go for it.



Each day brings opportunity to do great things!