When an opportunity arises, are you open to receiving it? Sometimes you might not even see an opportunity because you're so focused on something else. Maybe you pass up on the chance to join a new group or to travel somewhere new. The best way to invite good things into your life is to embrace the unknown and remain open to unexpected twists along the way.

Freelance writer Gemma Hartley says that to invite more opportunity into our lives, we must first do the work of readying ourselves to receive these opportunities. In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, we share Hartley's thoughts on how to recognize moments of opportunity when they arise and how to make the most of them.

1. Cultivate an abundance mindset. For many of us, having enough never feels like enough because we live with a scarcity mindset—the rug could come out from under us at any second, so we have to hustle and overproduce in order to stay ahead. However, if you live your life in constant worry that the well is about to run dry, you may create a self-fulfilling prophecy. Even if you don't, you'll certainly produce a lot of unnecessary anxiety. Instead, Hartley recommends starting each morning with a mantra that cultivates an abundance mindset. Tell yourself that you live in a world of abundance, that good things are coming your way and that you welcome opportunity with open arms.

2. Clear your mind and your schedule. We live in a culture that glorifies busy and productive and leaves little room for quiet exploration of one's self. But those moments of solitude are exactly what you need, according to Hartley. If you are hyper-focused on staying busy, opportunities will pass you by. You must let go of the scarcity mindset that tells you constant motion is the only way to find peace and security. You need breathing room to explore what you really want. Clearing your mind and opening your schedule will allow you to make room for the opportunity you most desire.

3. Say thank you. While you might consider thank-you notes more appropriate for post-party gratitude, they can actually be a great way to foster connection. Thank people for sharing their time, their expertise and their experience with you, whether with a handwritten note or an email. Thank people who have influenced your growth. Thank people who have shown up for you during hard times in your life. The act of writing down your gratitude and literally sending it out into the world will help invite opportunity your way. Not only does it remind you to live in a state of gratitude and abundance but showing your appreciation and interest in others will bring both giver and receiver a tremendous boost in happiness.

4. Get curious. Do you remember the curiosity you once had in childhood? Do you remember how much your world opened up because of that curiosity? Hartley encourages people to hold on to that curious nature. Opportunity loves growth, so if you are doing the same things, thinking about the same things and pursuing the same things day after day, opportunity isn't likely to come knocking. Allow yourself room to be curious about what truly interests you. Lean into learning more about yourself. When you seek knowledge, you attract opportunity into your life.

Opportunity is all around when you commit to being open to it. Use the tips above to invite more opportunity into your life.

Source: Gemma Hartley is a full-time freelance writer living in Reno, Nevada. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, CNBC, Glamour, Women's Health, Redbook and more.