“Got a Problem? Here’s Your Opportunity!” by Tony Pearl

Hey! You Got A Problem?

I was recently reminded of one of my favorite movie scenes from the funny & entertaining movie, “Evan Almighty.”

In this movie, Steve Carell plays the part of “Evan,” a modern-day newscaster-turned-politician who is tapped by God Himself to build an ark! (Yes, as in Noah’s Ark)

There are all kinds of crazy and funny things that happen during this movie, as you can imagine. But there’s one particular scene in the movie that really stands out.

This Scene & Why it Applies to You…

Evan’s wife complains to her husband that he’s crazy to do what he’s doing (build an ark), and questions his commitment & closeness to their family, so she goes out to a local dive restaurant to clear her head & grab something to eat.

And that’s where she “finds God,” played by none other than the great Morgan Freeman.

As you watch this scene, please put yourself in her shoes. Not because your spouse is building an ark, but because of HOW opportunity presents itself (or how God answers our prayers).

And also think about HOW others may question your sanity for wanting to invest in real estate – or whatever else it is that you’re doing to improve yourself.

I consider myself to be more of spiritual than religious person, but this scene really, really resonated with me, so I’d like to share it with you.

Please watch and enjoy this wonderful brief scene from the funny movie “Evan Almighty,” and be sure to pay careful attention to the powerful, sage advice that God (Morgan Freeman) gives Evan’s wife Joan (Lauren Graham) here about how PRAYING for something works. About how OPPORTUNITY works. Man, this is great stuff here!

Pay particular attention at right around the 1-minute mark, when he says that it “sounds like an opportunity.” Enjoy…

Video Here

So – what did you think of that?
Can you relate? If not, watch it again!

If you’re having financial troubles and have recently prayed for more money or for a better way, how do you think God/the universe answers those prayers?

Do you think it should work like, “POOF!” Suddenly you have money just magically appears out of nowhere?

Maybe sometimes miracles like that happen. If so, that’s great.

But instead of that happening, doesn’t it make sense that – you’re suddenly presented with an OPPORTUNITY?

An opportunity to make things better for yourself, for your family, and others?

How Does Opportunity Present Itself?

The simple answer, as I see it, is that opportunity presents itself in DISGUISE.

It’s disguised as a PROBLEM. It’s disguised as WORK. As a CHALLENGE. Or at least something undesirable to someone.

And THERE is YOUR opportunity!

When you come right down to it, that’s what successful business is really all about:

Providing VALUE for people by SOLVING their PROBLEMS or Fixing Their Issues.

The more people’s problems you solve, the more you should be compensated.

Or – the bigger the problem you solve for someone, the more you should be compensated.

Please note that “compensation” may not always be financial!

Sometimes, it’s better to be compensated with the satisfaction that we’ve helped someone.

Or by the powerful feeling of love or happiness we create for ourselves & others when we help them.

But if you need to make that money because you’re broke, then just look for the right problems to solve.

And real estate is one of the best arenas to solve problems in. Because that’s where we can truly get paid well.

What Types of Problems Can We Solve as Real Estate Investors in Order to Make the Big Bucks?

That’s easy! When someone has a problem selling their house and don’t know what else to do, that’s an opportunity.

When someone is dying to BUY a house, but doesn’t know what to do or how to do it…or doesn’t believe they can qualify right away, that’s an opportunity.

When someone has money invested, but is getting a really crappy return & isn’t happy about it, that’s an opportunity.

I could go on and on, but I hope you see the point here now. If not, go back and re-read all of this until it sinks in.

In closing, I have ONE simple assignment for you…

Go out and LOOK FOR PROBLEMS! No, not in the typical way that most people subconsciously look for problems (which is probably why so many people you see are constantly in a bad mood).

Instead, look for problems to SOLVE! How can you help people? What issues do you see that you can fix?

How can you make money by fixing those issues?

Think about the big, successful companies, like Amazon or Apple.

Amazon exists because people didn’t have much time to go all over the place to find somewhere they could get a wide variety of quality merchandise at fantastic prices, safely delivered to their door or place of business, etc.

Amazon fixed that. Now look at them.

Apple exists because many people didn’t find computers or technology to be very ‘sexy’ or easy to use a while ago.

Apple fixed that. Now look at them.

A side-benefit of this is that when you go out to purposefully LOOK for problems instead of trying to avoid them, it changes everything! Now the things that used to bring you down will suddenly fill you with energy, hope, and determination. You’ll be thrilled by the challenge of looking for ways to solve problems – and get compensated for it!

So the next time someone asks you, “Hey! You got a problem?”

You can answer them in a whole new, fun, and creative way.

And have fun with that!

Side Notes to Look For in That Movie Scene:
Notice God’s nametag?
See what happens with the food?
See her reaction when he mentions about family?

Until Next Time,

Tony Pearl