A number of people feel dissatisfied with the things they have achieved in life and think that they could have done a lot more. However, when they are given opportunities, they often say “no” because of one reason or the other.
Maybe the job isn’t exactly what they had in mind or maybe they feel like the pay isn’t enough. Maybe it seems to be located too far away or maybe it won’t leave them with enough time to spend with their family. These are all valid reasons to say “no” to something, but that doesn’t mean that there weren’t also valid reasons to say “yes.”
Failing to Recognize Opportunities
Sometimes, opportunities come to us in a form that we don’t recognize, as a result of which they don’t seem like opportunities in that moment. Maybe we’ve already decided on a different course of action, and we can’t wrap our head around what is truly an opportunity. Or maybe we don’t trust the opportunity enough; maybe it seems too good to be true.
We’ve all had experiences like this; we’ve all failed to recognize opportunities at one point or the other. But when we’ve looked back at those job offers, scholarships or other opportunities, we’ve wondered why we failed to take them at that time.
Being Afraid of Opportunities
Sometimes, opportunities come to us when we’re not ready for them. We don’t want to move towards that thing we’ve always wanted. So we come up with some valid-sounding reason to say “no” to that opportunity.
The truth is that we say “no” because we’re afraid, not because we have a valid reason to. We’re afraid of what will happen if we say “yes” to that opportunity and it doesn’t work out. What if we don’t perform well at that job or in that academic program? What if the scholarship we’ve been offered for a semester is not extended to the next one? What if we decide to take a chance on the person we love and it doesn’t end up in marriage?
Considering All Possible Outcomes
When all these fears are deluging you, it’s good to take a moment to breathe and think of all that you could have if that opportunity does work out the way you’d like it to. Make sure you consider all the positive outcomes as well before you say “yes” or “no.” Taking that opportunity may be risky, but maybe that risk will be worth it in the long run.
