Opportunities...

Photo by Razvan Chisu on Unsplash

What Do I Do With My Opportunities...

What do I do with my opportunities?

I haven't always owned them.  Many times there have been opportunities and I let them go.  I don't know why.  However, when I look at the place I am in life and look back at the big decisions in life, I'm thankful for those opportunities I seized.

I've mentioned in a previous post that I believe in God and I seek His guidance in all of my life's decisions.  So sometimes, unseized opportunities were because of that.  Right now, in my life, I have been given the opportunity to launch the next phase of my career and to do it very successfully. And I owe it to a "missed" opportunity.  I hadn't thought about it much as this new opportunity has unfolded until tonight.  It hit me like a ton of bricks.

Let's back up about 17 years.  I was working side by side with a colleague doing the same job.  I had 8 years experience in my field of work and he had just a couple as he was training on the job.  The company I worked for came to us one day and told us our supervisor was retiring and that they would give us both the opportunity to apply for the job unless we could work it out ourselves.  Here I am, 27 years old... an opportunity be be a department manager and rake in some big bucks at that age.  Perfect opportunity right?  I knew, deep in my heart, that it would be a big mistake to take that promotion.  There was no way I would have not gotten the job if we'd have both had to go through the interview process for it.  I had a college degree and 8 years experience and I was great at what I did.  But I was still an irresponsible young man that was not prepared to lead.  I graciously stepped aside right on the spot and gave up my opportunity.  

Fast forward to today.  I am so very grateful for having the wisdom I had but more importantly, recognizing God's guidance in that situation 17 years ago.  This year, I have been given the opportunity lead a department at the same company. It has come at the right time.  I won't go into all that has led up to this opportunity, but there is no doubt in my mind that if I had taken that job 17 years ago, I would be in a bad place today.  A very bad place!  Now, I have a chance to grab this opportunity, pick it up and run with it.  I can OWN it!  I have an amazing leader ahead of me to support me, mentor me, nurture me, lead me to success.  I am very excited for the future.  Tomorrow I get a small taste of it and I can't wait!  

When the responsibilities are handed to you, what do you do with them?  It's scary in many ways, but it's challenging and rewarding in so many more ways, and that's what helps us to grow.  Overcome the fears, seize the opportunity, own it and contribute to the world around me.  

That picture was just exactly how I felt today!  I wonder why others can't see it?  Maybe I can help them...  Maybe I can offer them some opportunities.