The title of this blog is a famous Spanish quote, I don’t think you are meant to know what it means straight away. Pema Chodron writes in her beautiful book When things fall Apart ” When things are shaky we are on the verge of something “. The usual advice for coping with pain and suffering is to sweeten it up, smooth it over, take a pill. But distraction only makes you miss opportunities for happiness – when the courage to live in the present can bring clarity, and even spiritual change…

Do you call your mistakes opportunities? I try and live the ethos there are no mistakes, everything is a gift. It is not easy, we are trained from an early age to blame things we do not want in our lives as mistakes. let’s have a look at the world of opportunity:

The author of the classic Think and Grow Rich, one of the top ten self-help books of all time, Napoleon Hill was one of the pioneers of the industry and is widely quoted by current gurus such as Anthony Robbins and Zig Ziglar. Here are three more of his well-known  quotes 

2. Beginning his acting career at the age of 12, you do not expect to see a quote by the man known as Mr. Television be listed among the great philosophers. Yet, this beautiful quote is fully deserving of it: Break on Through.

3. I don’t usually use quotes that feature the word, God, as I am a Gaia sort of dude, but I listened to a speech by a born-again Christian last night. In it, she related as a fourth generation Christian she saw God as being about kindness, can’t disagree with that.

4. Would you like a million dollars, you just have to fly unaided to get it. Do you accept the challenge? I’m your man.

5.Thomas Edison’s teachers said he was “too stupid to learn anything.” He was fired from his first two jobs for being “non-productive.” As an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. When a reporter asked, “How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?” Edison replied, “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”

6. Are you a Yes or No kind of person? Just Say Yes.

7. What was that movie, Jim Carrey say yes to everything in? I can’t remember the name. But, yes it certainly challenged his limits and changed his life.

8. My favourite cigar smoker also said when they suggested cutting the arts to spend more on defence, then what would we be fighting for: Art for Art’s Sake.

9. They say you create a new world with the decision to turn left or right. My friend met his beloved when he bumped into her turning right, what if he had gone left?

10. A 20 year NBA player, Kobe also said – I’ll do whatever it takes to win games, whether it’s sitting on a bench waving a towel, handing a cup of water to a teammate, or hitting the game-winning shot. Negative or a small thing, take the opportunity: Scale Down.

11. Khalil can be obtuse to the extreme, after reading his quotes you will have expanded your knowledge.

12.Dr. Orison Swett Marden (1848–1924) was an American inspirational author who wrote about achieving success in life and founded SUCCESS magazine in 1897. His writings discuss common-sense principles and virtues that make for a well-rounded, successful life. Many of his ideas are based on New Thought philosophy.

His first book, Pushing to the Front (1894), became an instant best-seller. Marden later published fifty or more books and booklets, averaging two titles per year: Seize the Day.

13. There’s that famous story that most people on their deathbed talk about what they regret having done, don’t be one of them.

14. The curly haired wonder, Albert Einstein published more than 300 scientific papers along with over 150 non-scientific works. He took his opportunities: Taking Chances.

15. How many people shut the world out with headphones these days. I relate to you a story I heard from a Hazara refugee in our country who has made the decision that every person he meets is an opportunity to improve his English. He started talking to the person next to him on the tram and the elderly person sitting opposite asked if she could join in. She offered Haid and his family their beach house for a week and have become good friends. How many opportunities do we miss by making the judgement they wouldn’t talk to us.

Knock, Knock – Who’s there?

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.