Las Vegas times. [volume] (Las Vegas, Nev.) 1905-1906, 1906-11-03
MAKE FOR SUCCESS
CHANCES AND OPPORTUNITIES
IN LIFE.
Actions That Lead to Wealth and Po-
sition Almost Always Mat.
ter Of Development-Time
lost In Regrets.

when / was a boy" said an elderly
gentleman who has done well in the
world. In discussing the contributing
elements to success. Il used to have
drummed~tnto me by benevolent and
kindly disposed people. that II
wished to succeed | should take ad-
vantage of my opportunities.
And this same advice goes to-day.
and IL is good advice. too. though
aIn of the opinion that too much of
this sort OF treacle Is worse in its
effects than none at all. Some peo-
pie go all through life uneonsciously
taking advice. and that is about all
they do take. | have given this sub
ject of opportunities considerable
study from a practical standpoint,
and my results are these:
The word opportunities should be
shifted to chances. There Is a vast
amount of distinction in this matter.
which | will make clear to you.
Wherever you go, and in all callings
and stations in life. you will hear
men say: oh. If had only taken
advantage of that opportunity would
have been rich. and a lot of similar
talk. which, as a matter of fact,
means nothing. II they really had
their lives to live over again they
would do precisely the same as in the
first instance.
AN opportunity is an evolution. II
is a matter of development. II Is not
an initial instance or event. but 1t is
of subsequent development. In other
words. II does not become an oppor
tnnity until the particular crisis
which makes of 1t an opportunity has
elapsed or passed. Untll that period
1t is merely a chance.
This is not as refined distinction
as the casual reader would imagine.
A familiar illustration. In the realms
Of speculation. as in the stock market,
will suffice to prove this statement. A
man follows the market closely for,
say, three weeks During this time
the opportunity he had of making
successful turns make you tired to
listen to. They have come up every
day. IF he had bought this particu.
lar stock he would have done so and
so. If he had sold another stock ne
would have made enough to have re-
tired. But as he didn't do either. he
goes around singing his tale of lost
opportunities
"As a matter of fact. almost pre-
clsely the same. or very similar 'op-
portunities exist for him in the en-
suing three weeks. But the distinction
is this: All in the future Is but
chance-the passing of the day or of
the crucial moment In speculation
and In business transactions deyel-
ops or shows what the opportunity
may have been. Until then II lies
hidden. and human foresight does not
discern il. II man makes a move
he strikes at the chance and not at
stock short. and the turn OF the mar
ket shows that he should have held
on to it. he cries about missing his
opportunity when the opportunity
could not possibly have been deyel-.
oped until he had taken whatever ac-
tion he was destined ia take
1T Is the same where a man moves
from one town to another to engage
in business. when subsequent develop
ments show that he would have bet
tered himself had he remained In the
first town. But he had to make the
move. and go through II all. TO prove
that there was really an opportunity
for him in the first place. and he
couldn't have developed this fact. or
opportunity as he calls II. unless he
had actually made the move IN ques-
ton.
And thus many men pass their
lives regretting what they term lost
Opportunities, when they had simply
been confronted by chances, and sub