Opportunity Knocks . . .

Occasionally you and I are faced with something unexpected.
It could be a change in environment, a change in circumstances, or something that happened in a way that we didn’t expect.
It’s often a change, the consequences of which are unclear or uncertain and you and I know that such lack of clarity usually leads to resistance to whatever has happened.
You see . . .
There are three ways in which most people choose to deal with this sort of thing.
‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ – stick head firmly in the sand – “la la la la la nothing’s happening, if I ignore it it’ll go away”.
Many people will just go into denial, and sometimes, if it’s a small or unimportant change, this may not matter, but usually the consequence is that people who do this take a few steps backwards in their lives.
The psychologist Viktor Frankl theorized that in unexpected circumstances people react in one of two ways.
It either brings out the best in them or it brings out the worst in them.
Or in other words they will either react positively or negatively.
It’s a sad fact that in Western society at least, the tendency is for most people to react negatively.
(Which I suppose includes ‘doing nothing’.)
Even if whatever change occurred was something they expected or of which they were in favour.
Most people, encouraged by the media and politicians and so-called ‘experts’ look for and focus on the ‘downside’.
And then there are the recriminations. ‘Someone’ or some group of people have to be ‘responsible’ for what happened, ‘someone’ has to be blamed, ‘someone’ has to go.
Most people, worshipping at the altar of negativity, persuade themselves that after all that has changed, whatever it was, their lives will be poorer or less rosy, they will be worse off, everything they were used to will collapse in a heap – and so on.
“Depressing isn’t it?” as Marvin the paranoid android in Douglas Adams’ ‘Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy’ was very fond of saying.
But here’s the thing.
You and I, you and I, react positively to change.
Even if we don’t ‘like’ it, even if it wasn’t what we ‘wanted’, and even if the outcome is unclear or uncertain.
You and I see each of these things, these ‘happenings’ as an opportunity.
Sir Richard Branson said:
“If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later!”
You and I don’t need to be offered opportunities (although it’s nice if we are), you and I can make opportunities out of these unexpected changes that occur to our circumstances or environment.
We may not be quite sure what they are and we may not be quite sure how to take advantage of the situation.
We may not know exactly what to do to make things happen.
But we know that we can.
You and I know that if we proceed we will find a way, you and I know that there is some good in it for ourselves and for others, you and I know that there are two sides to the coin.
The bright side and the dark side.
The bright side of the coin is shining out with opportunities for everyone.
To find new ways of doing things, to do different things, and to do things that we couldn’t do before because the old circumstances didn’t allow it.
On the dark side in the ‘doom and gloom’ the opportunity is nowhere, on the bright side the opportunity is now here.
Always look on the bright side!