Opportunities. They are everywhere. Do you see them? Are you listening? Are you seizing what's right in front of you?
With only 4 days left before Christmas, most of us seem to be scrambling around. Whether it's finding that one last toy on our child's wish list, baking yet another cookie recipe to hand out more cookies to the neighbors, wrapping presents, or preparing our holiday meal, people everywhere are rushing around with their agendas in mind.
As I stood five deep in a Walmart check-out lane today, I observed the opportunities that were missed by the hustle and bustle of the day. The opportunity to ask the (most likely) very exhausted cashier how their day is going, what their holiday plans are, and if they have family in town to share Christmas with. The opportunity to pick up some produce that had rolled down the hill of apples onto the floor. The opportunity to apologize and say "excuse me" when your cart bumps into someone else's instead of giving them a glare of inconvenience, shock and disgust.
Webster defines an opportunity as a favorable juncture of circumstance, or a good chance for advancement or progress. Challenge yourself to see the opportunities that lie before you - opportunities to serve, to be thoughtful, to be kind, to be generous. When we put others before ourselves and think of those around us first, only then can we advance and progress in a way that benefits all.