Today’s economy has given us many chances to either make it or break it.
“Some say opportunity knocks only once, that is not true. Opportunity knocks all the time, but you have to be ready for it. If the chance comes, you must have the equipment to take advantage of it.” —LouisL’Amour (American writer, best-selling author, 1908-1988)

What are you doing to prepare yourself to be ready for your chance?
“Learn to listen. Opportunity could be knocking at your door very softly.” — Frank Tyger (nationally published editorial cartoonist, columnist and humorist for the Trenton Times)

How long have you waited for your chance?
“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” — Milton Berle (slapstick comedian and show host)

How will you know when it’s your turn and what will you do about it?
“What is opportunity, and when does it knock? It never knocks. You can wait a whole lifetime, listening, hoping, and you will hear no knocking. None at all. You are opportunity, and you must knock on the door leading to your destiny. You prepare yourself to recognize opportunity, to pursue and seize opportunity as you develop the strength of your personality, and build a self-image with which you are able to live / with your self-respect alive and growing.” — Maxwell Maltz (US plastic surgeon, motivational author, and creator of the Psycho-Cybernetics, 1927-2003)

Of all of these quotes, I feel the simplest was the strongest. Uncle Milty seems to make it very clear—build the door. But why stop there? Add a doorbell, welcome mat, and a video monitor. As far as that goes, why not a doorman, a watchdog and a tangle of bells and tin cans at your front step. You don’t want to miss your chance, nor do you want to let it get away without at least knowing that it’s there. Like a Boy Scout, be prepared, have a strong plan and know what path you want to take. But most of all don’t wait for opportunity to knock, because as Maxwell Maltz states, it never knocks—only you do. Find your door, knock, and most important of all, don’t wait for an answer, open up the door to your destiny and march right in. Only you have the power to make things happen for you. And as that swooshy shoe company states, “Just Do It”.

Happy Retailing,
Moe Lastfogel
​moe@retailobserver.com

​By Eliana Barriga
Publisher and Managing Editor for The Retail Observer

In today’s upside-down world filled with the deadlines, debt, worries, and other serious challenges we may find ourselves facing these days, it’s easy to fall into the trap of the waiting game during your pursuit of happiness.

Waiting for a better break, or a new job? Waiting for the phone to ring, or what money will bring? Hoping for better health and well-being, or a relationship with meaning, or things to be better, or different weather? Waiting for tomorrow, or something to borrow, or a body of steel, or to cut a deal, or for the kids to behave, or your way to be paved?

Time waits for no one, so don’t waste precious time waiting for something or someone to make you happy or rich. The clock is running... how are you spending your valuable time?

As I was shopping in our home improvement center yesterday, I was talking to the salesman about fixing-up properties for re-sale, which is something I like to do. He told me how much he enjoys it and how there are deals out there right now, so I asked him why he wasn’t out there doing it. His response was, “I’m waiting for the economy to get better.” How many times have I heard that?

How many of us are waiting for the economy to get better? Stop It! Stop waiting for circumstances outside yourself to change, to do, or have what you want in your life or business. Use the challenges you face to your advantage, including the economy. Take care of those in your community that need your help. A lot of bad things have happened to good people who need another chance to get back on track. How can you help? Do you have a dream? How about including others in your dream?

Don’t wait—get up every morning and greet the new day. My mama used to say, “The early bird gets the worm”, and she was right. Go after your dreams and do what you need to do to make them come true.

The pursuit of happiness isn’t waiting for you!

Go be in your happy place,
Eliana Barriga
​eliana@retailobserver.com