<p>Over 2000 years ago, three wise men followed a star.&nbsp; A young woman and her husband&nbsp; began a journey that started with the 'impossible' and a child was born that became one of the greatest leaders ever known.&nbsp; The world has never been the same.&nbsp; </p> <p>For many of us, 2010&nbsp; has been a year of personal and professional challenges, but just imagine the challenges these people once faced.&nbsp; </p> <p><a href="http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/opportunities-are-like-star.jpg"><img style="border-width:0;margin:10px;" border="0" alt="Opportunities-are-like-star" src="http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/opportunities-are-like-star_thumb.jpg" width="387" height="332"></a></p> <p>The image above is message I created for my CorePurpose Christmas Card in 2010 and it is one I firmly believe in.&nbsp; Opportunities <strong>are</strong> like stars.&nbsp; There are millions of them out there. It is all a matter of which one we choose to reach for, to believe in and to work to achieve. </p> <p>As I write this on Christmas Eve,&nbsp; there are signs that opportunities are rising like stars.&nbsp; The New York Times writes that <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40802487/ns/business-the_new_york_times/">economists see signs of a stronger recovery</a> while other <a href="http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/2010/12/23/20101223biz-economy1223.html">analysts predict growth in 2011</a> also.&nbsp; In reviewing my notes form this year's Arizona Entrepreneurship Conference, I see point after point that <a href="http://azentrepreneurship.com/speakers">the speakers</a> made about where the opportunities lie and how to reach them.&nbsp; </p> <h4><strong>This is the time of year when we reach out to others.&nbsp; </strong></h4> <p>Christmas cards, business and personal newsletters sharing stories of a year that soon will be past and hope for the year to come, notes on <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/joankoerberwalker">LinkedIn</a>, on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/joankw">my personal Facebook</a> and the <a href="http://facebook.com/corepurpose">CorePurpose</a> and <a href="http://facebook.com/4otef">OTEF</a> Facebook pages , and <a href="http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/my-profiles-on-twitter.html">Twitter's tweets</a>.&nbsp; Each of these is an opportunity to connect, engage, say hi or say thank you and each conversation strengthens relationships and can begin a journey towards a new opportunity.&nbsp; </p> <h4><strong>It is also a season of hope.</strong></h4> <p>For many, 2010 has brought times of frustration and worse, but now is the time to draw strength from the energy&nbsp; around us and take a look at the&nbsp; gifts that we have to work with.&nbsp; Our friends, our families, our co-workers, and our customers have also faced challenges this year.&nbsp; But at the end of the day, we are all still here. And being here we can take the energy and the <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/camaraderie">camaraderie</a> of the season and use it as fuel to move us all forward towards new opportunities in 2011.</p> <h4><strong>So remember...</strong></h4> <p>Opportunities are like stars.&nbsp; There are millions of them out there. It is all a matter of which one we choose to reach for, to believe in and to work to achieve. </p> <h4><strong>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay tuned....</strong></h4> <p>I'll be sharing more tips to help you get ready for 2011 throughout the month of December.  <p>And for all of the friends who have visited here, chatted with me on Twitter, have&nbsp; worked along side me in projects, or just dropped me a line or made a call to say hello, THANK YOU&nbsp; and best wishes for a&nbsp; very happy and hopeful holiday season, a very Merry Christmas, and a 2011 filled with opportunities.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <blockquote> <p><em>Joan Koerber-Walker</em></p></blockquote> <p><strong>About the Joan: </strong> <p><a href="http://jkw.typepad.com/.a/6a01053650f43d970c013489b143d5970c-pi"><img style="margin:0 10px 0 0;" border="0" alt="Koerber-Walker-056" align="left" src="http://jkw.typepad.com/.a/6a01053650f43d970c013489b143e3970c-pi" width="83" height="103"></a> An entrepreneur, author, speaker and corporate advisor, <a href="http://jkw.typepad.com/www.linkedin.com/in/joankoerberwalker">Joan Koerber-Walker's</a> journey has spanned from corporate America to entrepreneurship and non-profits, as well as into community leadership and into the halls of Washington D.C.&nbsp;&nbsp; To learn more about how CorePurpose and the CoreAlliance can help you grow your business or if you would like to receive&nbsp; a hi res version of "Opportunities are like stars..." for your home, your office or your team, you can contact her by clicking <a href="http://corepurpose.com/contact.html">here</a>.  <h6>CorePurpose&nbsp; is a registered trademark of CorePurpose, Inc.&nbsp; CoreAlliance is a&nbsp; service mark of CorePurpose Inc.&nbsp; All rights reserved</h6> <div style="display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:dbb70d9b-8d3b-44b8-b3a7-bdc9862ea15c" class="wlWriterSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker" rel="tag">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose" rel="tag">CorePurpose</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Business%20Tips" rel="tag">Business Tips</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Business%20Inspiration" rel="tag">Business Inspiration</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Arizona%20Entrepreneurship%20Conference" rel="tag">Arizona Entrepreneurship Conference</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/OTEF" rel="tag">OTEF</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Business%20in%202011" rel="tag">Business in 2011</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Opportunity%20in%202011" rel="tag">Opportunity in 2011</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Christmas" rel="tag">Christmas</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Challenge%20and%20opportunity" rel="tag">Challenge and opportunity</a></div>