I like to take my current skill set into account, along with the skill set the opportunity requires.

For example, I'm a really good writer, and I can learn new programs very quickly when I need to. So when an opportunity to start making short videos related to affiliate marketing presented itself, I jumped at it.

Like you said, I kept an open mind and it is a little outside of my comfort zone, but I felt that in this case that was a good thing since I'm making a lot of changes to my business plans. Then I decided that while I had a few things to learn, I did already have the necessary skills in place to work on the project.

So now I'm preparing to add one more stream of income and skill to my business.

I'd also say a heavy dose of intuition or "gut-feeling" contributes to what I do. If something feels right, I'll spend a lot more time researching it and deciding whether to jump at it. If it just feels "wrong" or "off" then I'll walk away and not look back. Because while that doesn't mean there is something wrong with the project or the person running it, I take it to mean that it isn't right for me personally.

'Depends on what you mean by "opportunities".

I find opportunities every day, some of them have resulted in additional income, some manifest as additional knowledge, and others provide paths to additional exploration.

Even as a child, I had an amazing thirst for information. I just "had to know" how things worked. This lead me to explore a wide variety of subjects, and despite actively seeking learning opportunities my whole life, I still learn something new every day. Often it is something relatively minor, but occasionally it provides a new insight into an old problem that I've personally had or observed. This helps keep my mind active and encourages me to continue the search for knowledge.

From the standpoint of business, opportunities are where you find them, or often more properly, they are where you make them.

Begin each day with your eyes open. Smell the roses, so to speak. Pay attention to your surroundings, even as you move through familiar territory. Every so often, try to look at your world from a different perspective. Think about how things would look to a child, or someone with a handicap, or someone that is new to your environment or area. Doing so will allow you to see things you normally ignore as commonplace. Periodically throughout your day, take a moment to just stop, close your eyes and listen to the sounds around you. You may be surprised by what you hear. There are a myriad of activities around you that you are ignoring every day. Some of these directly affect your well being without your even realizing it. A few moments of meditation can not only clear your mind, but open you to a new vision, seeing more of your environment than you normally do.

Keep a notepad or a few 3x5 cards with you, and jot down things you notice, especially things you want to investigate later. I've found a number of new business opportunities this way, by noting a problem that needed to be solved, or just a new approach that would help someone else out. I've also had several personal breaktrhoughs as a result, things that changed my life in a positive manner at the time, and affecting me in a positive manner for some time afterwards.

Sometimes you do need to look outside of your comfort zone, or stretch your limits, but more often, you can find opportunities within your routines, if you only pay a bit more attention...

I believe that keeping an open mind and being prepared to help others where possible is the best way to reveal more of life's opportunities. I have been a member here since last year but only today have I actually decided to really check it out and see what I can find for myself here.