Have you been in a situation where you’ve honed your craft for years and kept asking yourself, when will my time come?  Everyone else is being recognized while you wait silently for your chance. I think we’ve all experienced these feelings at some time in our lives. The important factor is that when the opportunity arrives, be prepared.

Sounds simple enough, but it takes dedication and commitment to continue to perfect your skills, talents, and abilities while waiting for your opportunity.  My passion is in the sciences and I remember staying after school to perfect my science experiments. While my peers were outside playing after school, I was focused on my projects. In the end, my hard work paid off and I won several science awards.

I also remember hearing my mother tell me that the “early bird gets the worm.”  Hearing those words now, has a different meaning than they did when I was a child.  Being prepared sets us up for success because we are equipped to handle challenges that may come our way and we are focused on the end result, our goal.

I read that Kathryn Stockett, the author of the bestselling book, The Help, received 60 rejection letters.  I don’t know how many of us would have continued on the journey to have our books published with so many rejections.

We’ve all heard about Walt Disney being turned down 302 times for financing for Disney World and JK Rowling, author of the Harry Potter, whose publisher told her that she should get a job because there was no money in writing children’s books. By the way, she was rejected by 12 publishers.

If you noticed, each one of these persons had one thing in common. They found success when opportunity and preparation collided.  Ask yourself, what are you doing to prepare for the opportunity of your dream?

When the curtain on the stage of life rises, will you be ready for your big performance? You will be if you rehearse, receive the proper education, and tell yourself that excellence is what you require.

If you fail to focus on your goal, chances are, you won’t recognize your opportunity when it arrives making your preparation in vain.

I’m reminded of what I often hear a friend say, “if you don’t prepare to succeed, then prepare to fail.”