In my opinion, there are two ways opportunities come about, actually, maybe three:
1. Opportunities present themselves to you
2. You see an opportunity and work hard to EARN it
3. You see a door, and kick it down
Opportunities present themselves for many different reasons. If you are good at what you do people will notice your skills and attributes and tell others about you. In this way new business ventures come about and you may not necessarily have to work hard for them. For example, if you’ve done work for a business, say, consulting, and your work is SUPERB, the customer may recommend you to other clients who could benefit from your services. I love these types of situations that allow me to “work in my sleep” so to speak. Waking up in the morning with three e-mails in my inbox with interest for my services absolutely brightens my day every time!
There will be times when an opportunity is seen from a far and you have to grind to go after it. Now, this can be tiresome at times, especially if you are not prepared. We sometimes see great opportunities, such as a promotion on our job, but the opportunity is not necessarily fit for what God is doing in our lives right now. I will use myself as an example. In December 2008 I finished my M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering and was accepted to Purdue University to pursue a Doctorate of Engineering Education. I worked my tail off to get accepted to Purdue. I saw an opportunity and went after it. They offered a degree that I was passionate about, so I went down to meet the faculty, tour the campus and community; I even visited churches! It came down to about 3 or so weeks before it was time for me to pack up and move to West Lafayette when I was instructed that this opportunity was not God’s will for me right now. How could it not be!? I had an advisor and funding all set up, an apartment, a part time job, the works!
I asked myself, “was this opportunity an open door from God, or did I kick the door down?”
That is my main question to you today. I still have not been able to fully realize the difference between an opportunity presenting itself through God’s blessings, me seeing an opportunity and working diligently to pursue it, and me just kicking the door down.
As of right now, I am doing fine pursuing a Ph.D. at Michigan Tech University in Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics. They have allowed me to focus my research on what I am passionate about, I have funding, and everything is just fine. I do wonder, however, what it would have been like to attend Purdue…
Was there ever a time when you kicked the door down? What happened when you walked through it?
I pray that God continues to open doors in your life that no man can shut, and that he closes doors in your (and my) life that we cannot pry open-in Jesus’ name!
—
Kari L. Brown offers coaching/mentoring to students struggling with success and maintaining a personal relationship with God. For more information visit www.karilbrown.com, or follow @karilbrown on Twitter.
