We all wait for it. That moment to shine. That chance where we get to show people we aren’t just talk.
We want an opportunity to prove that we are worth something.
Then that moment finally comes. And our first reaction is so very often a negative one. Fear. Doubt. Panic. Suddenly we wonder if do deserve a chance. Maybe someone else can have the opportunity.
And so very often, we let the moment slip through our grasps.
The Thing about Moments
You never know when you are going to get a chance at something. If you do get a chance, you may not get a second one. Sure you might fail. You may be way out of your league. So what?
If you are given a true opportunity that you know you should take, take it. It might be your only chance.
A Simple Task
I like to write. Some days it can feel like a battle. Some days it takes a lot of work to get anything done. Still, I enjoy it, and I like to think I’m good at it. My dream is to one day make a living off writing. Right now that seems hard to imagine.
However, I was recently offered an opportunity. A friend asked me to write an article on a subject I knew nothing about. He said he would pay me for it, but it had to be done that night. The only problem was, I had to work that evening and had made plans after work.
It would have been easy to say no or maybe next time. But I knew this was a chance I had been waiting for. I knew it had to potential to lead to more opportunities. So without much thought, I said yes. I had to cut my plans very short. I had to sacrifice some sleep.
But I knew I had to do this, even if I had no idea what I was doing.
Sacrifice is Necessary
If you are pursuing your passions and dreams, you’re going to have to sacrifice. It is simply part of the process. Maybe you won’t get to go somewhere with your friends or you won’t be able to buy something really cool because you’re saving your money for something greater. I don’t know what your dreams may cost you, but I do know this.
The more you sacrifice early on, the less you will have to sacrifice later.
If you are young and don’t have debt, loans, rent, etc, you have so much freedom to start doing something with your life. It might not seem this way, but your possibilities are limitless.
Regardless of your age, as you look at the different things you could be doing with your life, think of what will matter more 10 years from now. Put your life into perspective. Choose your path. Make the necessary sacrifices.
Don’t Be Afraid to Fail. You Just Might Succeed
As I finally sat down to write that article for my friend’s business, I had a brief moment of panic. “What the heck am I doing?” I believe I said. But once I got over myself, I took a deep breath and wrote away. By the time I was finished, I had no idea if it was what my friend wanted, but I felt really good about the article.
So I sent it.
And guess what? Not only did he love it, but his client (whom the article was actually for) loved it. They particularly liked my “style”. It was a small thing, but the sense of victory the whole ordeal left me with was huge.
If you have an opportunity out there waiting for you, take a chance. Sure, you might fail. You might fail horribly. But maybe you’ll succeed. Maybe one small opportunity will lead to the rest of your life. Or it may just be a small story in the pages of your life. You will never know…if you don’t try.
(Next post coming Wednesday. In the mean time, you can share this one)
This was interesting and encouraging. Sometimes I think we are so focused on the moment that we forget about the bigger picture. Have you read A Million Miles in a Thousand Years? Some of what you wrote reminded me of it.
Woo hoo! Congrats! Fear and procrastination often gets in my way too…