You’re at the grocery store checkout, waiting in line C, when you spot a vibrant brunette waiting in line A.  You’d love to meet her, but how?

You’re at the tenant’s association meeting and you see someone who is hot, hot, hot.  Is he married?  Living with or involved with someone?  Do you ask him, or hope to see him again next month?

When every second counts, the answer to how to meet that intriguing person rests in spotting unconventional opportunities and making the most of each one.  Do not for one moment think of the people you want to meet as your enemies.  The real enemies are your own doubts, those nasty little glue traps on the bottom of your shoes, and those dust balls in your throat that keep you quiet.  Your mission is to disarm the doubts (even if you can’t dispel them) and to replace them with practical ideas so you can take the action you secretly long to take.

The whole idea is to make the assumption that if you don’t act, you’ll never get the opportunity again.  So if you see someone you’re interested in, you must find a way to make the most of the situation.

How do you make the most out of your situations?  Let’s say you’re in line to pay at the grocery store and you really want to meet this cute guy standing in front of you.  What could you do?   You could whip out your purse, and “accidentally” drop your change all over the floor, so the cute guy in front of you can help you gather it up.  Why might this work?  Your feigned clumsiness gives the two of you a chance to make initial contact.

Let’s say you’re in a restaurant and you’re attracted to one person who is there with a group.  What could you do to make contact?  Try taking out one of your business cards and writing on the back “You have a wonderful laugh (eyes, smile, whatever).  I can see you are busy with your friends, but I wish you’d been alone because I’d love to meet you.  Please call.”  Then, when you leave the restaurant, pass by her, hand her your card, and say “Hello, this is for you. Have a nice day.”

How else might you meet an attractive stranger?  Sheryn Wolf, in the book, Guerrilla Dating Tactics offers some suggestions:  Let’s say you are entering a store, when you notice a wonderful looking man leaving the store.  You could turn right around—and ask him for directions to get somewhere in the same direction he is already heading—so you have a few minutes to strike up a conversation while you’re walking together.  Or ask the woman who is hot, hot, hot for the time, pretending your watch has quit working.

After you hint that you’d like to get to know her better, always be sure you place 100% control over what happens next in the hands of the other person, so your desire to meet someone is not interpreted as pressure or harassment.

Too timid to take these types of risks?  Look at it this way:  When you’re 90 and sitting in your rocking chair reflecting on your life, what do you want to be thinking about?  All the opportunities you missed, or all the opportunities you took?