What Opportunities Are You Ignoring Because You, or They, Aren’t ‘Perfect?’

Would you just walk by ten bucks lying on the sidewalk?

Your initial answer is probably a big, fat, “No!” I mean, who would walk by ten free dollars just lying there, innocently, quietly waiting for a person like to you pick them up and spend them on something utterly luxurious like a craft microbrew beer, or a gourmet cup of coffee?

But, you might be surprised how you actually respond in the face of ten big ones, easily collected by simply reaching down and picking them up.

This happened to me.  There I was, walking along on Capitol Hill in Seattle when what should reach out and shout, “Hey!  Here I am!” You guessed it…a $10 bill was lying on the sidewalk all folded and crunched to pieces.

At first, I thought it was one of those tricks.  You know, the ones where, when you reach down to pick it up, it says on the back, “Lost something? Jesus will save you!”  (nothing against Jesus, but you can’t really spend that stuff).

And then, as I nudged it with the toe of my cowboy boot, I realized that it was the approximate size, shape and color of a real, live $10 bill.  But it was grimy.  It had been lying in the street.  It was a little worn around the edges.  There were stains on its back.

But it was still $10.  Ten dollars.

Put another way, that’s two beers, three Americanos, or an order of nachos, to go.  $10.  Easy to walk by as if it weren’t there.  Easy to disregard because it’s a little gruff.

I picked it up.  Of course I did (I’m now enjoying a Chimay Grand Reserve in its honor).

What is lying right in front of your face that you are disregarding because it’s a little dirty?  It’s not quite perfect?  It’s rough around the edges?  What opportunity, if you took it, would bring in the easy cash or facilitate your life in some way sans effort?

Think hard.  I guarantee you’ve got options.  At least three of them.  You’re just ignoring them in your quest for perfection.

[photo credit]