Opportunities- see & seize them!!
"As Orison S. Marden said “Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great. Weak men wait for opportunities; strong men make them”.
Opportunity!! We all love that word. It is a word that inspire hope, as well as something we can wish upon to make our lives better but unfortunately, this isn’t the case with most of us. Opportunities are those gateways to success and fulfillment that open up only so often (especially when you’re just starting on your success journey) and you need to be willing to jump when they come your way. However I see so many people let golden opportunities just slip through their fingers. They just stand on the sideline and wave them goodbye and then live a life of regret. The problem is we often realize how good an opportunity could have been only after it’s gone or when someone else took advantage of. It’s too late by then!
My mother always told me that we only have one life to live (we all know the obvious fact) but how many of us regularly forget to enjoy the things life is giving us? Life will give you a bunch of them, and how you yourself are responsible for taking the ones that will create a base for our own existence. My Mother often used to tell that if I choose what feels thrilling right now, it will not matter too much if my decision turns out to be wrong later. At least I will have created something, be it materialistically in assets, or maybe more importantly, intellectually in an experience. On top of that I will hopefully have learnt something and I have taken the opportunity to grow in terms of life's excitement.
Real opportunities are like the sales people that knock on our door, or call us while we are too busy. They are the ones that we don’t immediately see. They come by at the most unexpected, mostly inopportune, times. We are so obsessed with other distractions or our own opinions that we normally miss the majority of opportunity that falls across our path.
Say yes when you perceive these prompts. Say yes to new life. Say yes to experience. Don’t say yes to everything, though, saying yes to every opportunity will burn you out completely. Trust your gut, it will take you down the path that is right for you. The beauty of taking chances, is that anything can happen. You might fall, get hurt, or be embarrassed, but what if you could experience something that is completely mind-blowing and changes your life forever.
When I think back over the chances I have taken when opportunity presented itself, I am content in the knowledge that I know what it feels like to live in both a city center and a suburb; I know how to handle high-pressure situations at the office, jump into an entirely different field without any prior knowledge or experience, embarking on a journey to an unknown destination etc. I am happy I took those opportunities rather than forever wondering what it would be like. I’ve had a lot of good opportunities in my life. Like most people, I’ve taken some and missed many. Sometimes just one opportunity can state the difference between an extraordinary life and a mediocre one. Unfortunately, they don’t last forever.
Taking advantage of opportunities in life starts with simply saying yes to them when they come around. When I went on to arrange a college reunion (after years of graduating), I asked several friends to come along. I had many showing interest, but in the end they all backed out (with obvious important priorities). Years later, several friends admitted how they felt like they had missed out on an amazing chance and should have come along.
Saying yes to yourself also helps. Great opportunities often come from your own great ideas so don’t say no to them. If you’re negative about yourself, you’ll just limit your own options. This is not a good state of mind to be in. Know what you want out of life. If you do, your mind will focus on that and be on the lookout when an opportunity arises. This also helps when determining the direction to your life.
Don’t confuse opportunity with the result. When prospect knocks, be prepared to work hard. It calls for a change. Taking advantage of an opportunity means taking a chance. You may not succeed! They are never a guarantee of success, but they are a guarantee of growth. Opportunities and success are not something you go after necessarily but something you attract by becoming an attractive person. Taking opportunities can be scary, some of them definitely are.