Is It Really An Opportunity?

If you’re anything like me and many of my clients, your entrepreneurial spirit sees opportunity everywhere. It’s the nature of a go-getter to view the world through an enterprising lens, which sure beats focusing on dead ends.

But a word of caution: sometimes rose-colored glasses can make you see things that aren’t there.

We need to be discerning because here’s the thing —

There’s a difference between opportunity and seduction—a big one! And if you want a meaningful, fulfilling, successful career (and life), knowing how to make that distinction is a must.

How do you know if something is a real opportunity? Well, it’s not always obvious.

It might be exciting. It could have you fired up with ideas. And it sounds great…

But is it a good opportunity? The only way to know is to tune into the clues.

Let’s consider an example.

A client recently told me about something that sounded pretty exciting. She had the opportunity to work with someone she admired—a person well-known in the business world who could’ve opened doors for her and put her in the right rooms.

She lit up with the possibilities—the clients, the connections, the exclusive access to a community…it sounded like everything she wanted and needed to get closer to her goals.

But the opportunity came with a hefty price tag, which made her hesitate. Something didn’t FEEL right.

Ultimately, that’s it. That’s the clue: how you FEEL is what matters most.

Your head looks at the potential benefits, but your gut knows when something is off. Your mind may be seduced, but your intuition kicks in when something isn’t quite right and likely too good to be true.

A real opportunity might stir up butterflies—questions, insecurities, nervousness.

But the cautionary gut reaction to seduction will gnaw at you and keep you up at night. (Pro tip: try to sleep on it!)

She decided to skip this “opportunity” when she recognized it for what it was: a seduction.

On the tough road ahead, with the prospect of looming economic uncertainty shouting at us daily, we must tune in to our intuition.

Desperate times can make you more vulnerable to seduction. Always check in with your gut.