Living “successfully” is in some respects all about opportunity. Some opportunities you create, and others are just a given depending on who you are, your family, your geographic location and thousands of other factors.

Those pre-ordained opportunities can vary quite a bit - while most would be quick to point out being born into this world as August Busch VI opens a lot of doors, it’s all relative. No matter who you are you have a leg up on certain other people in the world of opportunity.

To me, it’s not worth talking much about those opportunities that just happen because of who you are. They are what they are. Take them as a given and then get ready to create others.

Creating opportunity for yourself encompasses all aspects of life. Social, professional, and personal accomplishments or experiences all come down to opportunity. Let’s examine, then, the things that affect the level of opportunity one has in life and how to maximize them:

It’s Who You Know - Not a day passes that we aren’t remind of this maxim, but knowing people (lots of people) always opens up doors. A great deal of people obtain their jobs through personal acquaintances. Another large chunk even meet their significant other through a friend or a family member. It’s how people make connections.

Get Them Degrees - Education opens up doors that were previously closed. There aren’t many worthwhile professions (from an income standpoint) that don’t require some sort of higher education degree. High school, Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD (and equivalent) all push a person up another rung on the ladder and adds options for what they can do with their lives.

Read Your Local Newspaper - A great way to actively pursue opportunities is through the old school newspaper. Read it to learn more about the world around you and find business ideas. Email journalists. Check the classifieds for job opportunities. I know this sounds a bit trivial given things like Career Services, Monster.com and your list of contacts stored in Outlook, but the whole world doesn’t exist in those few places. You have to spread it out to ensure you’re seeing the whole picture and not leaving any rocks to overturn.

Quick personal rant: I essentially got my start towards a great job in search marketing through a newspaper ad. By following up on ad that said, “Buy Tickets from your dorm room, $10/hour” I somehow ended up in a positiion that allowed me to grow into an expert in the search industry, run different projects and companies, make priceless connections both professionally and personally, and make a nice living. Thank you local newspaper, you opened the door to a new life.

Internet Searches - That empty Google search box in the upper right is an open porthole to all the opporunity in the universe. Really, what can’t you do on the internet? What can’t you accomplish? Just type, hit “Search” and explore.

Money - I’ve always said that my motives behind working to make money are because I feel like money creates opportunities and options in life. Consider for a moment that money opens up doors to things as trivial as different restaurants, on through things like an increase in free time and travel options. Money makes more money too, whether through investments or through connections forged with other people with money.

Plus, money helps promote the “Who You Know” and “Degrees” categories immensely. No denying that.

So how does one maximize opportunities in life? After all, I presented the above list as aspects of your life that you can control. Well my friend, that’s easy . . . go get the paper and sit down in front of your computer. Flip through the pages for about a half hour each day and then do some Google searches on topics that interest you. See what pops up.

If you haven’t obtained a higher education degree that would help you get that “dream job” or possibly just open up more doors, head off to school for a few hours a day after doing the paper reading. You might have to do this as a routine for 2-6 years, but it’s going to be worth it. (Don’t major in English, that won’t help).

Beyond that, network with as many people as possible - especially rich people and charismatic go-getter’s. Men and women that own their own business or are natural leaders, or have an impressive Rolodex already - those are the ones you want to stay in touch with. You might meet them at school, at work, at the bar, or through clubs/organizations, but latch on.

If these type of people don’t seem to be popping up much, keep the search on. Eventually a connection will manifest itself that gets you a nice “break”. And like they say, one open door leads to another, and the world is filled with opportunity. You just have to find it.