Opportunities.

Do we take enough calculated risks throughout our lives? or are they uncalculated and more like a leap of faith? A leap through a door that just opened in order to seek new opportunities we didn’t think were possible or didn’t think would be awarded to us. Remember when it comes to career opportunities: scoring an interview, being waitlisted by a university, receiving an invite to have your art looked at a gallery, or even being able to sit with an editor to publish one’s own writing are all accomplishments in itself. These are the small awards and goals we all hope to achieve. Even if you make it to that interview, but don’t hear back, think of it as an accomplishment in itself that you were able to score that interview. Someone saw value in you.

The world today is full of opportunities, but what does that mean? How do we define opportunities in the year 2022? Times have changed, from one generation to the next. The 80s and 90s were the days where having an undergraduate degree was the epitome of having a fantastic education with endless opportunities coming your way. Around 2012 or so, attaining a Masters degree, became the new “undergrad”. Overtime, expectations have grown, the pressure we put on ourselves has increased, and opportunities have broadened. When wanting to be “successful”, we cannot expect opportunities to be handed to us, but rather meet the universe halfway with our efforts and work towards the goals that we want. For some, this may be a natural talent, but for others this could be a huge insecurity leading to discouragement and subconscious self-destruction. 

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” - Wayne Gretzky.

When applying for jobs right out of college, one begins to question whether they need to work at a pro bono, Fortune 500, start up, etc., and what that will mean for their future. I believe in some cases, our first job sets the standard for our opportunities to follow thereafter. If one door closes, another one opens. It all starts with believing you made the right choice for yourself. 

The biggest question here is: where do you see yourself in a 5-10 year range? No, not in your career, but in your personal life. What kind of  lifestyle would you like to have? What’s important to you? Living near family and friends? Being able to travel whenever you’d like? Helping others? Being able to swipe your card without looking at a price tag? Personally, I envision myself being able to have all of the above. Everyone has their own ambitions and aspirations in life, so decide where you want to be and block out the noise around you.

When you’ve decided where you see yourself in life, you can think about what risks to take in order to get there. It’s never too late to start taking risks.

Be proactive, not reactive. It’s fine to feel down in the dumps for a little bit, but if you don’t think of your next steps as a result, you’re really only cheating yourself out of the endless opportunities that life has in store for you. Be proactive and come up with the next game plan. I like to believe things happen for a reason, and if you believe this too, grab that next opportunity, be proactive, and run with it. Market yourself and market what you stand for.

Until Next Time, Z