Malcolm Gladwell is one of my favorite authors. He’s an investigative journalist who has written best-selling books such as Blink, Tipping Point, What the Dog Saw, and a few others.  Recently, I discovered something in his book “Outliers” that peaked my attention.  The year that you were born can influence your opportunities.  Check this out….

• In the list of the richest people in history, 14 out of 75 are Americans born in the 1860’s and 1870’s.  This was the time the industrial revolution was taking off and railroads were being built across America and Wall Street began.

• All of the top IT entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley were born between 1953 and 1955.  Ever heard of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs?

• People born in the 1890’s to early 1900’s were less fortunate than those who were born after 1913.  Those people faced the great flu epidemic, 1st World War, the Great Depression, and were still young enough to serve in the 2nd World War.

This bit of information really inspired me to look at the opportunities that my generation has.  I know one opportunity is Entrepreneurship.  The days of working for a company 40 years and then receiving a plaque and gold wrist watch are over.  People tend to stay in their corporate roles 5-10 years at best before they get transition into another role at their company, leave to work for another corporation, or resign to start their own business.  I want to encourage you by making you aware that there are opportunities out there that are designed just for you.  Opportunities to invent something.  Opportunities to solve a global problem.  Opportunities to walk in your dream.  Opportunities to create wealth.  Etc…. But, you have to see them and take advantage of them.  Let me ask you a few random questions to get your brain engaged…..

1. What opportunities do you have now that was not available 5 -10 years ago?
2. What technology is available to enable you to invent the next great thing?  (in order to invent Facebook or Twitter, the technology had to be fast enough to sustain a social media network)
3. What is happening in the economy that you can take advantage of? (real estate, stocks, etc…)
4. Who is the most valuable person in your network?  Why are they the most valuable? What can you glean from them?
5. What solution do you contain for a problem that remains?