Choose Messy and Confusing Opportunities — They Will Lead You To The Truth
“Rarely are opportunities perfectly presented to you. In a nice little box with a yellow bow on top. ‘Here, open it, it’s perfect. You’ll love it.’ Opportunities — the good ones — are messy, confusing, and hard to recognise. They’re risky. They challenge you.” — Susan Wojcicki, the CEO of YouTube.
What can I add to it? AMEN! Honestly, it’s even ridiculous how many times concatenation of circumstances with a mix of luck and a bit of perseverance unravel numerous opportunities that ARE THERE for us to change our own world.
The power of a choice
The opportunity to start a business and become a solopreneur has been presented to me in a very confusing, terrifying, and blurry way. My day job and I broke up abruptly but without sorrow. Then I had thought ‘Well, I guess now I have a chance to bet on myself’. That was super scary. Still is, can’t lie. But I keep on going.
I CHOSE to have this path. I could have started looking for other things, but I managed to see that life has given me a chance to take the helm and do things on my term.
Uncertainty is a bitch, but well-intentioned one
The minute you step into uncertain waters, you can freak out. You don’t know what to expect and how to react. Although, if you take a look at the most headshaking situations in life, you will notice that all of them embody new beginnings a.k.a opportunities to shake the status quo and change what is calling for a change. Sounds not too bad, isn’t it? Now imagine how humanity would have approached the biggest challenges if we had perceived them differently, with a larger perspective on the long-run? I bet there would have been definitely more Susan Wojcicki’s and Oprah Winfrey’s in the 21st century.
Do you want to live on your terms?
It’s about making a decision and committing to it. Every day is a choice. Do you choose to live in blindness and follow others OR you choose to step out of your comfort and find your talents?
What You Can Do
Be honest with yourself
Honestly, honesty will not hurt. As much as I don’t want to look or sound goody-goody, but being an honest person in every aspect of your life will do it. It will save you so much time from ostentatious living on someone else’s terms and obeying what others what you to be. Oftentimes, we are lying to ourselves by applying for the job position we mistakenly believe in, dating people we no longer have feelings for, smiling when we want to cry. Don’t you think enough is enough? Self-honesty is like self-love, you have to discover it and fall in love with it.
Plan your goals
As simple as that, it’s always a good idea to have a list of things you want to do before you go to the big place in the sky. I mean, at least you have a bucket list as an orientation towards what direction to take on. Small side notes: as much as you aspire to be as precise with your goals, keep in mind they are prone to deviate and, eventually, change. Allow yourself to evolve along with your dreams, purposes, and pursuits.
Stick to being ultimate yourself
Own your weirdness and uniqueness! There is no one like you. Don’t let them narrate your story and point out who you are. Only you can define yourself. There were times when people explicitly showed me that I looked or acted differently. Matter of fact, they have even imposed the one-track-minded opinion on how should I present myself. Sometimes I would take it that way, meaning to fit in and be a part of the ‘group’. Well, it didn’t work after all. Why? I couldn’t suppress my true self. I gave up on this and became free. I am certain this is the only right way to be.
Opportunities are everywhere, but they become visible only when you choose to be surrounded by them. No matter how hard your situation may seem in life, it is an opportunity for your personal growth, emotional intelligence to bloom even more. All it takes is to acknowledge what is coming to your life can be a source of benefit and joy.
