Think Like a Dog About the New Year

At a dinner that I attended recently, the keynote speaker asked this question of the audience: “How many of you own a dog?”

A number of hands went up, and the speaker proceeded to announce: “Your dog probably has the most optimistic outlook in your household.”

Acknowledging a roomful of puzzled looks, he continued, “Think about it. Every time the doorbell rings, what does the dog do? The dog races madly to the door, barking loudly, tail wagging. Has the door ever been for the dog? No. But the next time the doorbell rings, the dog will once again race wildly to the door eagerly anticipating your next visitor. Now if that’s not optimism, I don’t know what is.”

Actually, I think entrepreneurs must be the most optimistic people of all. We see opportunity when others think we’re barking up the wrong tree. We don’t see doors as obstacles but as something to open. We hear the “doorbell” of an idea, and our entrepreneurial curiosity leads to go investigate what’s there.

As we begin a not just a new decade, not just a new century, but a new millennium, resolve not only to take advantage of the opportunities that come your way but also to create your own opportunities by opening doors that you might not necessarily think are “for you.” Many times our best opportunities come when we’re not expecting them.

Our wish for you at Small Business Monthly is that the doorbell of opportunity rings often in 2000—and that you open the door wide enough to usher it in.

Have a prosperous New Year!