There are two types of people when it comes to problems. When a person sees an issue they do not like they will do one of two things; Either the person will complain and say someone should do something about this, or they will see the opportunity to do something constructive. This attitude is real on every continent and country in the world.
An example of this thinking process is Robert Kiyosaki talking about a house he bought. The price of the home was much lower than he had expected considering its size and location. The was priced so small because the well ran dry for two or three months every year. Everyone before him who heard this walked away from the property. Robert in his book says he called an engineer to ask if the property was suitable for below ground tanks on the property. The engineer said it was possible, so Robert put in two 2500 gallon tanks. There were no more problems with water at the house. He later sold the property for a good profit.
A man in India saw the desolation of an area caused by deforesting of an island. He went about planting trees every day for more than 30 years. At the end of this time, the island was full of new and old plants and animals returned. These are just two of many examples I could give.
When we look in our neighborhood and see something we do not like; such as an overgrown vacant lot or a pile of trash we can do one of two things complain and say the city should clean this up, or we can speak to our neighbors about cleaning this mess up. A vacant lot make a great community garden. Given a little creativity, it could be a playground for the local children; in Baltimore Md. I saw a playground made of used tires. The citizens got together and made a jungle gym and swings from discarded tires and old lumber. It cost very little to make and gave the children a safe place to play.
A definition of Success I like is "The most successful person is the one who provides the best service to the most people." I have heard all my life from people there are no opportunities for people. I disagree with this sentiment wholeheartedly. There will always be needs in every community. The trick is to find the need and provide the answer to the community.
People have the same basic needs; they are food, water, clothing, and shelter. Look at your neighborhood to see what people need and want. Create a list of those needs and want; then prioritize it by their importance. This method is the start of creating a legacy. We can look back over the centuries and see this simple method used countless time by some of the most wealthy people in history. Our modern banking system is the results of someone seeing a need and fulfilling it. In Medieval times people carried around gold and silver coins. The coins are heavy and easily stolen; this is a significant problem. Where do you hide a bunch of gold and silver coins when going about your daily business. Some people started gold and silver depositories. They then gave out vouchers for the weight of the gold and silver. These were the first banks. People left their gold in a safe place and used the receipts from the bank for trade and commerce. There was a huge need for security, and a few entrepreneurs answered it. Many of these banks are still in operation to this day.
These examples all point to a single conclusion; if you look at a situation differently than everyone else you may be able to turn the proverbial Lemons into Lemonade.
