Looks Like Work

From the Tarot by Caro, the Ace of Pentacles; from the Holitzka I Ching, Hexagram 20

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. 

~Thomas A. Edison

The nice thing about many wildflowers is that they leave seeds for planting after they bloom. But these seeds must be put in fertile soil, watered and given enough sunlight for them to sprout. The Ace of Pentacles offers us a gift, but like the flower seeds, it must be taken and applied or used for it to be of any benefit. Favorable circumstances usually have a 'use by' date. As H. Jackson Brown, Jr. put it, "Opportunity dances with those already on the dance floor." Hexagram 20 is often titled either Contemplation or Observation. It suggests contemplating our motives: Are we looking only at the expected harvest rather than the effort that will be required? Perhaps we need to observe what is already on our plate and decide if there is any room for more work.