Creating Your Own Opportunities

This morning, I woke up with a question I suspect many solo entrepreneurs wrestle with: Is what I’m doing every day really worthwhile?

It’s easy to feel like some of the practices I invest time in don’t produce immediate, tangible results. But as I opened my Morning Ritual (a practice I’ve learned from Full Focus), I was greeted by a quote from Madam C.J. Walker, America’s first self-made female millionaire, that hit me squarely between the eyes:

"Don't sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them."

Exactly what I needed.

Her words echo the truth I needed to hear this morning. Success isn’t found in waiting for the perfect moment or the right break; it’s found in moving forward, creating momentum, and shaping the opportunities you want to see.

That reminder helped reset my mindset and push me forward. As I continued my routine, my devotional time added another layer of clarity: don’t live in the past.

It’s a powerful temptation to dwell on past successes—or get stuck replaying past failures. But life doesn’t pause, and neither should I. The past is useful only when I use it as a teacher. Those lessons—both good and bad—become stepping stones for what’s next. But I won’t reach the future if I’m always looking backward.

The future won’t necessarily look like the past. And that’s good news.

By the time I finished my Morning Routine, I was re-energized and ready to work. What started as a moment of doubt turned into fuel for forward momentum.

Because success in leadership, entrepreneurship, and life itself isn’t about clinging to what was—it’s about continually moving toward what could be.