“When Opportunity Comes Knocking”
“If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.”
“Jem” Lance Gross
Quote source: Omari Hardwick on being healthy in body, mind and spirit/ “I turn my camera on Ep 5 /Essence (Youtube published date 11/1/17)
Stock photo source:deadline.com
Have you ever missed out on an opportunity because you simply weren't prepared? Not too long ago, in my current job there was an opening to transition into a more lucrative position within the company. I wasn't expecting the opportunity to present itself so quickly and unfortunately when it came around I wasn't ready at all. I thought that I would at the least get the chance to put in my bid for the new role but because I hadn't ensured that all my ducks were lined up I lost the opportunity to be considered for the new position altogether. I could have kicked myself. Not only was I unable to interview for it, I also set my goals back by months because I had failed to make sure that I had done all that I could to be eligible for consideration. What a horrible way to be reminded that you should always stay ready.
Opportunities can come when we least expect them and if we aren’t prepared, sometimes it can be a bit embarrassing.To save face and to possibly subconsciously justify our neglect, we at times use silly excuses for why we’re unable to take advantage of seizing a moment. In actuality, a lot of the time our negligence is in part due to not considering the bigger picture. Sometimes, laziness, procrastination and inconsistency play huge roles in the delay of being ready when an opportunity comes, however if we are not only diligent in keeping our end goal in mind, but also diligent in steadily working towards our goals, despite how we feel, we will ensure that we are prepared at all times.
So the question is, how can we seize every opportunity that we possibly can when it presents itself? I think one of the most important things to understand regarding this is to be aware and know what an opportunity looks like. They may not come in the most obvious of ways but If we are focused and in tune, we will be able to spot those opportunities that aren't as evident at first. Also, keep in mind that every opportunity that comes our way may not be the best for what we are specifically striving to accomplish and it is important to have discernment to know the difference so that we don’t delay our progress. Another important aspect to consider is to not shy away from the idea that creating our own opportunities is as important as taking advantage of the ones that are given. At times it may be necessary to take the first step and construct our own path if one is not available, and in doing so, there is a great possibility that other opportunities that weren’t available before will emerge, and when they do, we must be willing and able to take full advantage of them.
It is important to continuously be in pursuit of our dreams and part of that is being mentally ready to actually receive the opportunities that arise concerning them. This means that we should be consistently feeding our spirits and minds with positivity and nourishing our thoughts with ideas that speak life into our goals as well as ourselves. So many times we as humans can allow self doubt and negativity to creep into our minds that we can literally talk ourselves out of an opportunity that can get us that much closer to our aspirations. So, as it relates to being prepared and ready, it is very important to keep a healthy mindset.
There’s something very unsettling with the idea of looking back years from now with regret of what we could have achieved if we had just been prepared, and it's crazy to think that we would not be able to experience something that we really wanted because we failed to do our part. When it's all said and done what we do now will determine what we are able to obtain in the future. Remember, every opportunity is a stepping stone to the next opportunity that will get us that much closer to what we want, and where we want to be. As one of the “founding”fathers, Benjamin Franklin stated, “ By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” So I ask, when opportunities comes knocking at our doors will we be ready to take full advantage of them or will we be forced to let them pass us by because we didn’t do our due diligence?! Let’s stay ready!!!!!