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I believe that every opportunity comes with consequences and down sides. A couple of years ago, after I got my first job promotion, my “rich” best friend invited me to go on an all-expense paid European trip with him. All I had to do was file a one-month vacation leave and secure myself a Schengen visa.
However, my boss could only allow me to go for two weeks or else I had to resign. I was aware of the company rules so I couldn’t really blame my boss for that.
After weighing all the repercussions and considering all my responsibilities, I chose my job over that one-time big time opportunity of a lifetime!
Not because I was stupid but because I had to think about things like my financial status when I get back from my vacation, how long it would take me to secure a new job and be promoted again, and would I really enjoy my dream trip if I was really worried about the aftermath?
So, with a heavy heart, I had to let go of the thought of getting that free trip and move on with my life.
It’s important to always study every option you have and how it could interfere with your other obligations before you can choose what’s best for you.
In love, for instance, it’s kind of hard to explain, but sometimes we tend to fall so hard for people who always let us down and never really love us back. We even stay with them, thinking that eventually they will change for us.
I guess we just choose to look at this kind of relationship as our only chance to love and be loved, to have our own happiness ever after or perhaps to make love work.
Ladies, you cannot consider something as a good opportunity if it doesn’t encourage you to become a better and a happier version of yourself.
So, learn to avoid falling for people who will never love you back and who interfere with your obligation to love yourself.
Girl, life is filled with so many opportunities that sometimes it becomes so difficult to choose. Some are better than the others, so it would be unwise to just jump into anything. Here’s another thing to consider:
Try to imagine the worst possible outcome that could happen if things don’t go according to plan. If you can tolerate it, then go ahead and take a risk.
In the piece “Franchising’s Fastest Growing Global Brands in 2016,” writer Tracy Stapp Herold emphasizes the importance of doing some research on your end.
As an entrepreneur, before you invest in a franchise, it always pays to do your due diligence such as reading a company’s legal documents, consulting with an attorney or an accountant and talking to former franchisees to determine whether the business is right for you.
You should say NO to an opportunity that prevents you from achieving your other important goals.
Last week, my friend Mitch told me that she made a commitment to herself that she would start eating healthy to be able to lose the pounds that she wanted to shed. The following day, I saw her in the nearby Chinese restaurant with some of her other friends eating fried rice, chicken and shrimp; and one too many glasses of Coke.
A simple get-together with friends isn’t that bad until it sabotages your other goals and plans.
To get away from this destructive pattern, check this out – “3 Ways You Keep Sabotaging Your Health + How to Break the Pattern.”
Ask yourself, “Are there any other better opportunities somewhere else?” If you answer YES, then there’s nothing wrong in pursuing something else.
Before I was promoted, I got another offer from a different company, but similar industry. Compensation-wise, it was a little better. But I didn’t take it because I was satisfied with the treatment I was getting from my company. Also, I already made a lot of friends, whom I didn’t want to leave. So, I passed on the chance and stayed with my company for a few more years until I was ready to embark on a new journey.
If ever you find yourself in a similar situation, here’s a good piece to read – “Quitting the Job You Hate: Four Reasons to Consider a Drastic Change in Your Life.”
Writer Marc Angelo Coppola provides some real and reasonable steps that you can take towards moving on once you’ve decided to leave your job like:
• Learning to live on less or cutting costs
• Finding someone to apprentice under
• Looking for a job that lets you excel and makes your skills shine
• Drafting a plan to transition your life smoothly
Learning when to leap at a chance and when to let it pass is a skill that you need to develop to be able to take full responsibility of your own life, to grow wiser and do better. I hope you can apply these things to examine your choices and come up with more favorable decisions for yourself.
We need to live by ideals, but we shouldn’t forget to be realistic. I have given up my ideals and dreams so many times. I believe that I can create my own chances, so I’m working hard for payback in later time.
Being realistic is necessary, but not letting go of your dreams is also important. Our dreams are what motivate us to reach and to grow! We can’t always live in the grounded, sometimes you have to embrace the possibilities and see where they take you!
Definitely agree with not jumping on an opportunity that interferes with other goals you have set for yourself. I actually have a friend that is very sporadic. If she hears of a good idea or opportunity for a job, she will totally lose focus on the other opportunities and goals that she had previously set for herself. It’s like she is constantly in a cycle of landing the perfect job and then going through some hard times because she basically has to start over. It’s exhausting, it seems.
The key word is balance. I’ve seen some chances in life seem to cost me too much. I had to step back if it stopped me from reaching the other goals. Even if I did make the wrong choice, I took it as learning experience and do better from then on.
Making the right decision is gut wrenching at times. Women especially have it hard in Today’s world with all the options available to us. We have to balance family and work decisions and still keep our feminine charms intact. Quite an undertaking.
I love this article and, although it’s not rocket science, I feel like I needed to hear it again to realize how true it is. We always tend to look for small and quick rewards in life, ignoring bigger rewards that may take longer to achieve. This applies in every aspect of our lives. Thank you so much for sharing this!
I couldn’t agree with you more on this, Devyne! Sometimes you need to be reminded again that being patient, persevering, and working for the bigger goals can really be both rewarding and the confidence boost we need to grow as people and as professionals.
I agree with you as well. I am a very impatient person by nature and I always tend to look for short term results in almost every aspect of my life. I really have to work on myself with regards to this.