Patience doesn’t mean making a pact with the devil of denial, ignoring our emotions and aspirations. It means being wholeheartedly engaged in the process that’s unfolding, rather than ripping open a budding flower or demanding a caterpillar hurry up and get that chrysalis stage over with.

Sharon Salzberg

I recently spoke to an old friend who was in the midst of a significant experience. He had just received a call from a successful business owner where he used to live.  This gentleman expressed that he had been watching my friend for a long time and would like him to consider accepting the position of CEO for his business because he was close to retirement. What an incredible opportunity for my friend!

This is the type of experience many of us dream of happening.  A wealthy business owner calls us up and says, “hey, I want to you to come and run my company because I think you are amazing!”
From reading this story several thoughts may be coming to your mind, one might be “wow, I’m happy for your friend!” or “wow, lucky guy – I wish that would happen to me.” Another might be skepticism, that it just sounds too good to be true, or perhaps: “I don’t have the talent for that to happen to me”.  In any case I can assure you that this story is true.  I have known this friend for years and I can tell you exactly how and why this experience happened to him.  He is very consistent with the little choices he makes each day.

From reading this story several thoughts may be coming to your mind, one might be “wow, I’m happy for your friend!” or “wow, lucky guy – I wish that would happen to me.” Another might be skepticism, that it just sounds too good to be true, or perhaps: “I don’t have the talent for that to happen to me”.  In any case I can assure you that this story is true.  I have known this friend for years and I can tell you exactly how and why this experience happened to him.  He is very consistent with the little choices he makes each day.

Doing great things, or having opportunities come to us does not happen in the instant that they are presented to us.  They happen because of the little choices we consistently make each day of our lives.  The choices that take us to the vision of what we want to be, where if we start them today, we likely won’t see a difference.  We probably won’t even see a difference as we make them after a week or a month.  However, as the days, weeks and months go by a difference becomes evident, especially to those who haven’t seen us in a while. This difference is born out of the small choice that is just as easy to do each day as it is not to do.

So, what do you want to accomplish with your life? What would you like accomplish which can ripple to the people around you? The opportunity described is not just about my friend. It’s also about the successful business owner who will be able to retire knowing that he trusts the person he has chosen as his successor. This opportunity affects families, employees and their families, customers, business partners, vendors and more. All from consistent, small choices expressed over time.  What are you willing to start today that will move you towards who you want to become?