{"id":1777,"date":"2026-10-09T02:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innertalk.com\/blog\/?p=1777"},"modified":"2026-10-08T17:00:45","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T00:00:45","slug":"your-opportunity-is-coming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innertalk.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/09\/your-opportunity-is-coming\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Opportunity Is Coming. Are You Prepared?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Woman<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve reached for an InnerTalk program simply because I thought I might<\/em> need it. If everyone around me starts coming down with a cold, I’ll start playing Accelerated Healing<\/a><\/em> even though I’m feeling perfectly fine. If I know I have to give a presentation, I’ll start using the programs in our Public Speaking<\/a><\/em> collection from the moment I know about it and continue right up until the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don’t wait until I’m sick or nervous before doing something about it. If I can see a potential challenge ahead, I’d much rather start preparing myself while I’m still feeling healthy, confident and in control. Because once something has become a problem, we may have a much steeper hill to climb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before the Problem Appears<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There’s actually some fascinating science behind this idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Mind Training<\/a><\/em>, I wrote about research discussed by Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer in which healthy people watched videos of others coughing and sneezing and were encouraged to imagine that they had colds themselves. Forty percent of them subsequently reported cold symptoms, compared with only 10 percent of a control group. Those who reported symptoms also showed an elevated immune response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think about that for a moment. Simply engaging mentally with the experience of being sick was enough to produce measurable changes in the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’ve also heard from InnerTalk users over the years who tell us that they began using programs such as Accelerated Healing<\/a><\/em> when illness was circulating around them and remained healthy even while people around them became sick. I’ve experienced the same thing myself many times. Of course, nothing can give us complete control over our health, but there is much we can do to tip the odds in our favor. And this holds for many areas of our lives. As such, it raises a fascinating question: If expectations and beliefs can work against us, why wouldn’t we deliberately work on strengthening the ones that support us?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s part of the thinking behind a program such as Be Well Stay Happy<\/a><\/em>. We don’t have to wait until we’re unwell to strengthen beliefs about being healthy. We can reinforce those beliefs while we’re already well. And the same principle extends far beyond health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preparation Isn’t Merely Defensive. It’s Expansive.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If I know I’m going to speak in front of an audience, why wait until I’m nervous to start working on confidence? If I’m pursuing an important goal, why wait until I’ve lost motivation before strengthening it? Why wait until stress is overwhelming before working on our ability to manage it? Thinking ahead can help us meet difficulties before they have the chance to become larger problems. But sometimes the thing we’re unprepared for is an opportunity.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imagine suddenly being offered the promotion you’ve been hoping for. You meet someone who could change the direction of your career. An idea comes to you that could become something important. You’re asked to speak, lead, create, travel, learn or take on something you’ve never done before. Or perhaps, after years of responsibilities and obligations, you finally have the time and freedom to pursue something you’ve always wanted to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Will Your Next Opportunity Ask of You?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Opportunities are coming. We may not know what they’ll look like or when they’ll appear, but life continually presents us with possibilities. The question is whether we’ll be ready to recognize them and do something with them when they arrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n