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 I was driving the backroads of rural Wisconsin in early October to take in the autumn hardwood spectacle. It’s brilliant when the hillsides of maples, oaks and sumacs shed their coats of green to reveal crimson and gold underwear. (Then a few weeks later they get naked for winter and that can get ugly).
As I motored along, taking in nature’s Big Show, I came upon an amazing apple tree. It was festooned with perfect, ripe apples hanging like glass balls on a Christmas tree. I screechstopped and reversed to marvel at this bonus of beauty.
The Red Delicious tree reminded me of a recent conversation I'd had with my friend Andy Little about success. Andy said we often have opportunities hanging all around us but it takes two things to convert them to success: Awareness and Action.
“If we can’t recognize the opportunity – see it, smell it, hear its clue in a conversation - then it will never be an opportunity to us.”
It’s still an opportunity - A Lost One.
“And maybe we are aware of the opportunity but can’t take action – we can’t pick it because of timing, because of a lack of resources, because we can’t find the courage – and the chance to sample the fruit of success eludes us again.”
The discovery of this unpicked tree in a rural orchard was a case of being in the right place at the right time – as is often the way with opportunity. Had I needed to get to my destination (I have to WORK, I have a BIG meeting today - I don’t have time to look for little opportunities!) I’d have taken a major highway and never seen it. Had I been too tight on time I couldn’t have stopped to discover that the apples were easily within my reach.
I call this remarkable find the Opportuni-tree. As Andy Little said, we have to be able to first recognize the fruit and then be able/willing to pick it to achieve success.
Simple. Delicious.
And fruit for thought...
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