Where’s the Treasure?

Where’s the Treasure(ˈtreZHər)?

By Steve Pavlina

One skill I had to learn as an entrepreneur was to invest in real opportunities, not dead ends. This can include opportunities for financial(fəˈnan(t)SHəl) gain(ɡān), but it can also include personal and professional growth opportunities, educational opportunities, creative opportunities, social opportunities, adventure opportunities, travel opportunities, and more.

Where there’s a genuine(ˈjenyo͞oən) opportunity, there’s a decent(ˈdēs(ə)nt) chance of a significant payoff if you invest some time and energy.

One trap(trap) I see many people falling into is that they invest in predictable(prəˈdiktəb(ə)l) dead ends instead of real opportunities. They invest where there are no rainbows or pots(pät) of gold(ɡōld), which means they don’t really invest at all – they spend time instead.

This world presents(prəˈzent) a ridiculous(rəˈdikyələs) abundance of interesting opportunities with plenty of delicious prizes(prīz), so why invest when the only payoff is that you cover your expenses? Where’s the excitement(ikˈsītmənt) in doing that each day? Why even bother showing up for such a low, fixed reward?

Opportunity blindness(ˈblīndnəs) is a real issue for some people. Many have become so accustomed(əˈkəstəmd) to living with uninspired(ˌənənˈspī(ə)rd), repetitive(rəˈpedədiv) cycles that they don’t realize that isn’t the only lifestyle option available. They could instead be living like treasure hunters, pursuing one fascinating(ˈfasəˌnādiNG) opportunity after another and discovering lots of real treasure along the way.

Don’t let life beat(bēt) you down into settling for peanuts when this world is full of fun treasures to discover. Don’t waste your time grinding(ˈɡrīndiNG) yourself into dead ends that offer no treasure.

Consider your current career path or business. Name the treasure you’re currently pursuing on that path. Where’s the pot of gold? Say it out loud.

Then notice how you feel about that prize. Does it excite(ikˈsīt) you? Do you think, Wow… it would be so awesome(ˈôsəm) to get there?

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https://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2020/07/wheres-the-treasure/