You shouldn’t limit yourself to just those individuals， organizations， and Web sites related to your field of interest. Everybody knows somebody who knows somebody. So seek out anyone who is passionate and committed to a dream， even if theirs is entirely different from yours. I love passionate people because they attract opportunities like mighty magnets.
On the other hand， if you are hanging with a crowd of folks who don‘t share your dreams， or your commitment to bettering your life， I’d advise you to find a new group of friends. Those who hang in bars， nightclubs， or video arcades rarely soar.
If you aren‘t attracting the sort of offers and options you aspire to， maybe you need to find higher ground through higher education. If you can’t win acceptance to a college or university， work your way up through community college or a tech school. More scholarships and financial aid programs are available than you might imagine， so don‘t let the costs discourage you. If you’ve already earned a degree， you may want to upgrade to a master‘s or doctorate program， or join professional organizations， online communities， or Internet forums and chat rooms for people in your field. If the breaks aren’t coming your way， then you need to get to the place where they can find you， or you can find them.
OPPORTUNE TIME
Albert Einstein said that in the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity. The recent recession has left millions of people unemployed. Countless others have lost their homes and their savings. What good can come of hard times？
Among the major brand companies that started up during recessions and depressions are Hewlett Packard， Wrigley， UPS， Microsoft， Symantec， Toys “R” Us， Zippo， and Domino‘s Pizza. The founders of these companies were looking for new and better ways to serve customers because previous models had failed during downturns. They seized the moment to create their own vision for doing business.
Without a doubt， the recession of 2006–9 had a profound and lingering impact that hurt many， many families and businesses. But many of the people cast out by corporations and longtime employers responded by starting their own businesses， going back to school for advanced degrees， or finally pursuing their passion in life， whether it was opening a bakery， starting a gardening service， forming a band， or writing a book.
Among those laid off or terminated in the recession were thousands and thousands of journalists. The downturn hit their industry especially hard because it occurred just as newspapers around the world were losing their lucrative classified ad business to online services like craigslist. It’s been interesting to see how former journalists， who pride themselves on their resourcefulness and creativity， have responded. Several I know have launched new careers in public relations， nonprofit ventures， and Web-based media and blogs. One of my favorites is the former editor who left his shrinking California newspaper and became vice president of a booming crisis-management company that crafts “bankruptcy communications” for other businesses in decline. This is the Taking Lemons and Making Lemonade philosophy， which is really all about shifting your focus from moaning about the problem to finding a creative solution. You have to be flexible， determined， and ready to turn a potentially negative situation into a positive situation. One of the big American retail chains teaches its sales staff to view customer complaints as invitations for building better relationships with store patrons.
It‘s a matter of reframing. I do it whenever my schedule hits a snag by reminding myself that “God does not waste His time， so He doesn’t waste mine either.” In other words， it all works out for the good. I truly believe that， and you should too. When you buy into that philosophy， stand back. I‘ve seen it proven true time and time again.
ON THE CLOCK
A few years ago I was flying with my caregiver across the country. At one airport our flight was delayed （no surprise）， and when we finally were on the plane and taxiing from the departure gate， I looked out the window and saw smoke coming from the engine.
A fire truck came roaring up. The firefighters jumped out and sprayed foam on the engine to put out the blaze. Due to a small fire in the engine， the passengers were told， we will be conducting an emergency evacuation of this plane.
Well， all right， I thought. Fire in the engine was not good， but being on the ground when the “small fire” broke out was a plus. When it was announced that our flight would be delayed another two hours， many of my fellow passengers complained loudly and bitterly. I was irritated but glad we had been spared a possible mid-flight emergency， or so I told myself.
Still， I struggled a bit to remain positive since we were on a tight schedule. Remember， God doesn’t waste time， I told myself. Then came yet another announcement： They‘d lined up another plane at another gate to take us immediately. Good news！
We hurried to the new departure gate， boarded yet another plane， and settled in for the flight. I was relieved until I noticed that the woman sitting next to me was quietly weeping.
“Is there something I can do？” I asked.