“Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you miss them.”
-William Arthur Ward-
Have you done something in the past that you regretted? Are you satisfied with the choices that you made? Do you think you made the right decision? If you are given a chance to go back in the past, will you change your choices or still choose the same?
They say opportunity only knock once. Once you ignore it, it will never come again. I guess they are wrong. In my own experience, there are lots of opportunities that came to my life. Opportunities that I wasted. In this writing, I will share to you the opportunities that I missed.
My Employers' Offer
On my first article entitled "Konting Silip ng Kahapon", I shared there that I worked as a housemaid in Manila. I was 19 at that time. That was also my first time working as housemaid. My experience was good. My boss and her family was also good to me. They even treat me as member of their family. After five months, my brother wanted me to send in college at Cebu. I agreed because I always wanted to finish college. So, I told my boss about it. My boss knew how I wanted to go to college. Then one day, that was Sunday actually, my boss and her husband wanted to talk me. They said that they don't want me to quit my job. They liked me because I am trustworthy. So, they offered me a scholarship. I can study college while working. They said that they will hire another housemaid to lessen my work for me to study. I was so confused at that time. Their offer is so good. But young as I am, I rejected their offer. I chose my brother's offer. What I was thinking at that time was if I choose my brother's offer, I won't be a working student. I know how hard to become a working student. But I chose wrong. My life was even harder when I was at Cebu. Then I decided to quit and went home. I realized that I made the wrong decision.
My Uncle's Offer
I think I was grade 5 at that time. My uncle, which is actually my father's uncle but he doesn't want me to call him lolo ( grandfather ), came from Canada. He had a vacation at that time. He was also looking for a child to adopt since he has only one child. Then he saw me. He asked my mother if he can adopt me. My mother was hesitant. So, he decided to talk to me and convinced me to go with him. When I got home from school, he called me to come to their house together with my mother. There, he discussed everything he planned about me. He promised to provide everything I need. His plan was very enticing but there was one that I didn't like. He wanted me take criminology course. He wanted me to become a policewoman. He said that he dreamed to have a policewoman or policeman child. I declined his offer. I told him that I wanted to become stewardess not a policewoman.
WRITER'S NOTE
Opportunity knocks once. If it comes to your door, grab it with your both hands and make the most out of it. If you will ask me if I feel regrets those opportunities that I missed ? I don't know. Maybe there's a part of me questioned my decision. But, there is also a part of me says that, if I didn't come up to those decisions, I will not be who I am today. I may missed those opportunities but there are other doors that opened for me. I still finished my studies and received the greatest blessing, which is my daughter.
It may frustrate us missing out opportunities that came to our life, but don't lose hope. As they say, "If the door is closed, there's a window open." Just move forward. Do not dwell on regrets because it will only pull you back. As what Mr. Max Slater said, if you keep your thoughts in the past, you will lock yourself down and prevent you from exploring and opening yourself to the opportunities that may be waiting for you. We can't undo the decisions that we had made. The best thing we can do is let our heart and mind open and move as we go forward with our lives. There's still more opportunities waiting for us ahead.
Thank you for reading. 😊
Let me extend my gratefulness to those who upvoted my previous article. Thank you so much for your support everyone. And an ending thanks too to all my sponsors. Godbless and keep safe.
We don't even know at the time of decision that which is beneficial for us. But yeah opportunities knock with best offers and to decide is depends on us.