Image credit: Fingerless gloves by alexmalexdesigns 

 “To change ourselves effectively, we first had to change our perceptions.”

— Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change

The past few months have really brought my attention back to the idea of openness and what it creates for us in our journey. I’ve had the chance to make connections with so many wonderful people through experiences like The Spark Retreat, the #OMHG chats, networking for The Create Change Movement and growing TrashN2Tees.  With those new people have come new challenges, and with new challenges come new opportunities. Rather than closing myself off to things because of fear, I chose to remain open to the possibilities.

They’ve poured in. Opportunities and experiences I’d never dreamt of including: an email from Seth Godin, launching an international virtual event for change, unexpected (and welcomed) phone calls from Dyana Valentine, the possibility of working with Terracycle for clothing/textile recycling, and even contributing to projects like $100 Change.

I believe that our perception of a situation changes everything. Depending on how we choose to look at a situation determines what further opportunities might present themselves. Recently when the funding for my app on Kickstarter was unsuccessful- rather than being defeated and asking why, I chose to ask myself how. How can I do it better? Then I did.

The idea of remaining open is true for new people as well as for new opportunities. If you are looking to build a new relationship, having a positive outlook and open energy will ultimately draw people in. If you are looking for creative business opportunities, similarly, maintaining an open, positive and curious mind will allow such things to come your way.

What opportunities or lessons have you learned from remaining open to new opportunities, relationships, and ideas? Have you ever missed an opportunity because you were not open to change?