Recognising Opportunities

Posted On 19/6/2023

Whether we are going through a good phase in our lives or whether we are in the doldrums, it is always a good idea to be on the lookout for a better opportunity. We tend to get so engrossed in our daily lives that we often end up ignoring opportunities that pass in front of our very eyes.

Here is how you can realise if there is an opportunity to be grabbed and how to work on it:

1. Learn from failure

More often than not, we find ourselves to be lost when we encounter failure, be it at work or in our personal lives. While it does take us down, there is no good to be gained from wallowing in self-pity and despair. We should gather ourselves, take a deep breath and look at this incident as an opportunity to work on the aspects which led to the failure. It could be a personal shortcoming or an external factor which we may have overlooked in haste. We should ensure that a repeat never happens. As Thomas Edison said, “I have successfully discovered 1000 ways to NOT make a light bulb”.

2. Be optimist

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty”, said Winston Churchill. As we can see, it is all about the outlook we have towards life. Whenever we plan for a task or a project or an activity, we are sure to encounter problems and difficulties. They should not deter us from our goals. If we look at it the right way, they actually present us with the opportunity to think of better alternatives and means to go about solving the problem.

3. There’s a reason

Everything that happens, happens for a reason. Adopting this belief will go a long way in strengthening our resolve. In the odd scenario that we do encounter failure in our path to success, it will keep us from inflicting damaging self-doubt. Always prepare for the worst case scenario – this does not make one a pessimist. It only shows our preparedness to deal with whatever life has to throw at us.

4. How to identify an opportunity

Much can be learnt from the vision of the revered Ratan Tata. He saw a family of four travelling on a two-wheeler; and on realising the hazards faced by the common man due to lack of affordable cars, he came up with the revolutionary Tata Nano. This is what should be learnt from the lives of great leaders. They do not wait for an opportunity to come knocking – they create an opportunity out of nothing. This is the underlying trait of an entrepreneur.

5. Grabbing opportunities

To be very frank – and a little harsh – the best opportunity that any person will ever have is to make the most of their own potential. As crazy as it sounds, there are so many people in this world who while away their lives without reaching their potential. These people are happy with what they get. They do not aspire for the extra-ordinary. We must ensure we do not fall into this trap. Accepting the status quo is the easy way out – going out there and making a difference is what requires a gargantuan effort. The huge numbers of start-ups we find in today’s world clearly indicate the fact that there is no dearth of opportunities in this world. If we have a burning desire to succeed in life and are willing to take risks, everything is up for grabs. Nobody can take this away from us.