Anyone who has ever taught a child to drive knows that it can give you grey hair before your time.  Trying to smile while holding on for dear life requires nerves of steel.  One day while accompanying my daughter on a drive into town, I gasped as she changed lanes without looking.   "Amanda," I said, "did you know you just changed lanes?"  She replied with a confused look on her face... "But I kept going straight?!"  "Yes," I countered, "but the road DIDN"T!."  A slight curve in the two lanes had allowed her to completely change lanes without turning the wheel.

    How many of us unconsciously continue on a straight path while the road of life twists and turns?  What have we missed by failing to turn our wheel and follow the road of opportunity to destinations far more interesting than the road directly ahead of us?  Just as with my young driver, the greatest danger is not being alert and practiced enough to see a possibility to turn in a different direction.

     Just as individuals must be willing to change, so must any successful business.  The blockbuster product of today can quickly become the lackluster product of tomorrow.  If we listen to our customers, they will tell us where the road is going.  In order to listen, we must somehow learn how to ask the right questions.  In a nanosecond, the mind of a customer can change direction.  We must be tapped into their wants and desires or we may miss quickly changing preferences.

    Siezing opportunity does not happen by accident.  It is a skill that we must practice  daily in both our work life and our private life.  Being open to turning in a new direction keeps our perspectives fresh and ready for new avenues and ideas to change the destiny of our lives!

Teresa Allen works with businesses who want build profits through enhanced employee performance.  A nationally recognized speaker, author and business consultant, Allen presents customized keynotes and training programs across the country.  For further information, please call 800-797-1580 or send an email to tallen@AllenSpeaks.com.