Amy had always been a shy person. Surprisingly she connected very well with people when she got to know them. But making the initial connection with others was tough. A one-minute meeting with her advisor outside of a class changed everything she ever imagined about her career.
“I’ve recommended you for a sales engineering job with one of our alumni,” her advisor said. Amy was blown away. She never imagined that she would be good at sales. Then her advisor added: “To be effective in sales, you have to be genuine. Others are turned off by the extraverts who come across as being more concerned about promoting themselves.”
Amy got the job and become renowned for her sales ability. Not only was she great at sales, but she was great at hiring and mentoring other sales people.
Twenty years into her career, Amy went through another major shift in her career. During a visit to her home town, Amy was disturbed by how much the local economy had collapsed. She decided to launch an initiative to create a new economy for her home town. She enlisted the help of entrepreneurs she had met in her sales career. Essentially she turned her sales career from selling products to selling hope. Again she was successful beyond her wildest imagination. The community became a thriving launch pad for innovative new businesses.
Fate intervened once more when Amy met with one of the state’s most respected political leaders. “You may not realize it, but I’ve been following your career for a very long time. You are exactly what this state needs in a Governor.” After much thought Amy decided to run for Governor and was elected with the widest margin ever. While Amy was new to politics, she was very effective in selling her vision for the state.
Fate often has a major role in the lives of everyone. In Amy’s case, her career took a direction that she could never have envisioned. But fate only impacts those who are receptive to moments of opportunity.
Capitalizing on fate requires moving outside of our comfort zone. It also requires approaching new opportunities with a hopeful spirit based upon our beliefs in ourselves and others’ beliefs in us? We also need to be realistic about opportunities so we can distinguish between those that are real and those that are based upon false promises?
* * *
“You often meet your fate on the road you take to avoid it.” – Anonymous