The Sunshine Report Seize the Moment – It’s up to You! Jay shares thoughts on how our response to ‘moments of opportunity’ can shape the trajectory of our lives for years to come. If we are fortunate, every once in a very long while, some incredible life changing opportunity may enter our life. An unexpected moment, with the potential for breakthrough possibilities. It may be the kind of opportunity that you have dreamed of all your life – and suddenly, it’s right there in front of you. Your destiny about to be fulfilled. But that opportunity may also come with risk and the need for you to venture far beyond your comfort zone. So, the question will be ‘what to do?’ What to do when ‘lightning strikes…in a very good way?’ The truth is, opportunity tends to knock on our door in very unsuspecting ways. And the best opportunities don’t come very often. When they do come along, we may feel unprepared or like we’re not up to the task of seizing the moment. Yet, as we’ve discussed in previous editions of the Sunshine Report, if we take a moment to pause and think about how we’ve responded to other moments where we’ve been faced with adversity or a potentially life changing decision, you’ll find that you’ve not only risen to the occasion, but gone above and beyond your own expectations. What’s most important is to believe in yourself. Back in the ‘90’s, Hall of Fame hockey player Wayne Gretzky was asked why his shooting percentage was so high relative to the goals he scored. His reply was so profound because it sheds light on to a very important phenomenon. Turns out, when he was a rookie, his shooting percentage actually was very poor. He missed a lot of shots. But the point is that he wasn’t afraid to take the shots, saying “you miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” With continued risk taking and practice, taking more and more shots – he got better and better. So much so, that to this day, years later, he is still the all-time leading scorer in the NHL and with a very high shooting percentage! Perhaps when opportunity arises, we fear what we don’t yet know, most notably whether or not we will fail. Yes, there may be great risk of failure, but even failure brings its own opportunities to learn and grow. It's essential to remember that when we believe wholeheartedly that we are destined to achieve, we manifest that with our every action. Not only that, but when we take advantage of opportunities, choose the risk of failure over the risk of inaction, opportunity has a fascinating way of multiplying. So, in those moments when ‘lighting strikes,’ I encourage you to act upon it, you’d be surprised what you can achieve when you do. Read The Full Report Springing to Action - Volunteer Firefighters are Making a Difference Read More Charter Schools – Expanding Choice and Opportunity Read More Positive Profile of the Week: Ben Kilham This week we are delighted to highlight a wonderful member of our New Hampshire community, Ben Kilham. Ben has been rehabilitating black bears in Lyme, New Hampshire since 1993, in conjunction with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. Along with his nephew Ethan, Ben runs the Kilham Bear Center which offers sanctuary to cubs that have for one reason or another lost their mother. He has become the foremost bear rehabilitation expert in New Hampshire. While these little cubs are very cute, the center is not open to the public as its goal is to release the bears back into the wild. Human interaction would impede that progress and make the bears more interested in some unwanted interactions in the wild! Ben’s love of New Hampshire’s bear population is not limited just to rehabilitating them as he also works with the Fish and Game Department to actively collar and track our black bear population. This gives much needed insight into their movements and behaviors which has become much more important as New Hampshire’s ‘Southern Tier’ has transformed from dense woods to more suburban neighborhoods. Often mankind and bear-kind do not mix well, and Ben’s critical research helps identify problem areas hopefully avoiding conflict with our furry neighbors! The next time you see a story about some cute bear cubs in New Hampshire, rest assured that Ben is on the job making sure our black bear friends are well taken care of and will be around for generations to come! Quotes of the Week “Get action. Seize the moment. Man was never intended to become an oyster.” ― Theodore Roosevelt Jay Lucas | www.JayLucas.us  ‌ ‌ ‌ Jay Lucas | 7 Portwalk Pl, Portsmouth, NH 03801 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]