SEE_THE_POSSIBILITIES

SEE THE POSSIBILITIES I have a very dear friend who is also my partner in some of my business ventures. She lives in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, and I live in Laurel, Maryland. Some business dealings need to be done face-to-face rather than by telephone or e-mail, so we take turns driving to each other's area. When I drive down to see Sally, I have to drive through the Washington, D.C., area, head west on Route 66 in Virginia, and then head south down Route 81 through the Valley. Somewhere a little west of Manassas, Virginia, there's a definite change in scenery. The "big city" feel is gone, the 4-lane highway in each direction narrows down to two lanes each way, and there's actual land space between communities. On one trip down to the Valley, I had a horrible time trying to get out of the Washington, D.C., area. The Beltway around D.C. was plagued with construction zones and at least one accident. By the time I made it west of Manassas, I needed to take a road break. I drove for several miles looking for a place to stop, and I finally saw an exit off the highway with a McDonald's. I wasn't paying much attention to my surroundings as I entered McDonald's (I had other things on my mind), but I did take a look around me as I left. I saw that the McDonald's is in the middle of nowhere. As I pulled out of the parking lot, I noticed that the majority of the traffic on the two-lane road was due to McDonald's. I thought, "What a great location McDonald's picked!" Think about it. Before McDonald's was built, I'm sure there were people who just saw a wide open space of land out in the middle of nowhere. The land probably didn't show a lot of promise. However, the person(s) who built this McDonald's saw an exit on and off a major east/west highway that was well-traveled. They saw the only means of refreshment for miles around. They saw guaranteed traffic. They saw the possibilities. My same friend Sally and I used to teach 4 - 6 year olds in Bible class at church. She had a gift of seeing possibilities everywhere. It didn't matter if we went out to the grocery store, or browsing through the craft store, or walking around the lake. Everywhere Sally looked she saw object lessons to use to teach the kids. Sometimes I would look at the object that had caught her attention, and even with her excited explanation of what she could do with it, I didn't see what she saw. Over the years, however, I have developed that "possibilities" outlook. A lot of what I do is writing, and I have learned to see the "article" in almost every situation. I had to teach myself to do it, but once I got the knack of it, it's amazing what I see that others don't even notice. To grow your business and to keep it from getting stagnant, learn to see the possibilities around you. First, keep a pad of paper with you wherever you go. You never know when the spirit of inspiration will hit. And believe me, you WON'T remember that brilliant idea later. It will be gone. So get in the habit of writing down your ideas the moment you get them. And don't forget to put in some details when you write your note. I've looked at cryptic messages I've left for myself, fully understanding what I was doing at the time, but not making heads or tails of it later. Second, pay attention to the details around you. Look at what's actually going on. Study the people (study, don't stare!) sitting on the bus with you. Listen to children as they play. Watch how others conduct their business and deal with customers. Look at the sign posts along the road. Some of them are quite funny. Third, learn to look at what you are seeing with new eyes. Ask yourself, "What is the lesson to be learned here?" or "Can I use that in my business?" or "Is there an article in there somewhere?" Learn from other's mistakes so you don't make them yourself. Learn from other's successes and see how you can adapt the idea (not steal and plagiarize) for your own business. When you develop a "possibilities" outlook, new ideas will begin to race through your mind. Your creativity will begin to flow. You'll feel a new energy about the growth of your business. And that's when things get really exciting! About the author: Sharon Dalton Williams is the author of "How to Succeed and Live a Full Life." Learn how to reach the goals you have set for your life and business. Surf to http://www.sdwassociates.com to order your copy. Learn how to use what is uniquely you in building your business. Subscribe to *Out From the Crowd.* mailto:oftc-subscribe@topica.com.