Await or Create
“My dictionary defines opportunityas a set of circumstancesthat makes it possible to do something.The world has conditioned us to wait for opportunity,have the good sense to spot itand hope to strike at the appropriate time.But if opportunity is just a set of circumstances,why are we waiting around for the stars to align?Rather than waiting and pouncingwith a high degree of failure,you might as well go aheadand create a set of circumstances on your own.If you make the opportunity,you will be first in position to take advantage of it.We don’t have to wait for it.We create it.”–Biz Stone
Without your participation, in the next few
minutes, your heart will continue to beat, you will continue to breathe and
your existence will proceed. This is
what happens to us in this thing we call life. In this manner, we are similar
to the animals who live from moment to moment with no greater aspirations. Yet
life is so much more than just what happens to us!
Sure we can go through life reacting to all
that comes our way. In fact, this is
what the vast majority of people do, day in and day out. There is nothing shameful or wrong with this
way of living. If you are content doing
what everyone else is doing and more or less getting what they are getting then
put yourself in neutral and coast along.
This is the easiest and most efficient way to live within our culture. The greatest personal energy expenditures
will only occur if dangerous or unwanted situations occur.
However, you may have noticed that this is
not the manner by which those who are succeeding choose to live. They do not wait for life to deliver itself
to them. They pursue what they want and
make it happen. Whether it be health,
wealth, fame, skill, power or something else they do not sit passively waiting
for it. They plan carefully and work
diligently to create the circumstances that will foster what they wish to
achieve. If you want to be exceptional,
that is you wish to be the exception rather than the rule, then you too will
need to stop being passive.
I cited Biz Stone in the quote above
because it highlighted the fact that the “world has conditioned us to wait for
opportunity.” We sit and hope for the
right circumstance to come to us. We
even actively prepare for these situations so that we do not miss them when
they appear. All of that is good. However,
it is all passive at its core. We bemoan
when the stars do not align and we curse that others seem to have all the ‘luck.’ Meanwhile, we have missed countless chances
to create our own opportunities. I know of no one who has not been guilty of
this mindset, myself included.
A hunter can train to shoot well and buy
all the best gear. They could also learn
all the habits and ways of the creatures that they wish to hunt. Then our hunter might go to the proper
environment and the appropriate time and sit in a random promising spot and
hope to see their prey walk by. This
will sometimes result in a successful expedition. The more successful hunters learn various
ways to lure their prey towards them.
They use calls and bait to entice the creatures. They carefully check their hunting grounds
for signs of their prey’s activity. They’ll
work hard to understand their target and to encounter it. The will use their time and energy wisely and
will not rely on simple chance and their results will show it.
An aspiring actor who hopes to be discovered
would be considered foolish if they did not actively pursue every possible
chance to showcase themselves. Yes, they
could take acting lessons and practice with various groups and guilds, but all
that would be in vain if they did not actively work to promote their name and reputation
in the entertainment industry. Sure they
might take roles hoping to get noticed by someone influential who might happen
to attend a performance. However, they
could equally well invite influential people to their shows and provide them
tickets. They could take some well
calculated risks to create the circumstances that they desire.
The difference between passive and active
may seem subtle but it is significant.
Passive prays, waits and watches.
Active does this and then also plans, creates, pursues, entices,
provokes and works. Passive looks for
chances. Active intentionally takes
risks. Passive hopes. Active intends and does. Passive awaits inspiration. Active gains inspiration through activity. Passive relies on motivation. Active relies on discipline and routine. This
holds true for all of and all our dreams and ambitions. We can wait for the universe to arbitrarily
deliver opportunities to us or we can work with what the universe has already
provided in order to create such opportunities. Health, money, peace of mind…
no matter what your goal may be you have a choice:
Live passively and let life happen
or live actively and make life happen.
©2018 Scott D. Wilson
