Ready for Opportunity.

Today's Marketing Cookie is about being patient, proactive, and prepared for opportunity.

We have a little wiener dachshund dog named Lucy. She is very sweet, but somewhere, hard-wired deep in her DNA is an insatiable need to protect our home from the U.S. Mail.

Whenever the mail slips through the slot in the front door, she transforms into a savage monster, thrashing and shredding any mail she can get ahold of. I've explained to Lucy that messing around with the mail is a federal offense, but she shall not be deterred. In our struggle to protect the mail, we've positioned a large bin just below the mail slot so our magazines, bills, and other friendly correspondences won't fall defenseless to the floor. It didn't take Lucy long to realize that she can use brute force to move the bin and once again have free reign over the mail.

Promptly at 1pm, she takes her position in the center of the living room floor, sounding off little huffs and growls while she stares at the front door in great anticipation of our daily attack. As much as an hour later, she will hear the mail jeep and her little growls grow louder and uttered with more sincerity. When the sound of the mailman tromping up our front stoop is heard, and the mail begins to force its way through the mail slot, Lucy springs forth into a full sprint, barking and snarling the whole way there. For the next several minutes, she struggles to attack the mail, which most days, remains innocently hiding in the bin.

We can learn a lot from Lucy. First of all, her patience in waiting for the mail is admirable. She waits more than an hour for the mail every day. On Sundays and national holidays, I've seen her keep a steady vigil for an entire afternoon. Do you have the patience to wait for opportunity?

Secondly, Lucy is proactive. She makes sure she is ready and in a good position to see the mail come through the slot. We've tried to distract her with a bone or special treats, but she refuses to let down her guard. Are you in a good position to see opportunities when they arrive?

Finally, Lucy is prepared. If she can manage to move the bin in advance, she knows that she will be able to successfully destroy the mail. Even since we put heavy bricks in the bin to hold it in place, she still works to clear all such obstructions out of the way. Have you tried moving obstructions out of your way?

If you are patient, proactive, and prepared like Lucy, you should be ready for opportunity to arrive. Make sure you keep watch, because as today's fortune says, "Don't be hasty, prosperity will knock on your door soon."