When Opportunity Knocks… For the Love of Everything, OPEN THE DOOR!
By Becky Shaffer | Live in Confidence
You know that saying, “When an opportunity knocks, open the door”?
Well, here's my question: What if an opportunity doesn't knock? What if it shows up unannounced, rings the doorbell seventeen times, and starts peeking through your windows because you've been ignoring it for the last six months?
That's what we do sometimes, isn't it? We ask the universe for change. We pray for something different. We complain about being stuck. We tell ourselves we're ready for something new.
And then the opportunity shows up and suddenly, we’re standing behind the curtains whispering, “shhhhhh! Maybe it’ll go away.”
WHAT IS WRONG WITH US?
Seriously! We want something different, but we also want everything to stay exactly the same.
We want adventure, but preferably with a detailed itinerary, a guaranteed outcome, and free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure. We want growth, but could it please happen without making us uncomfortable?
And we want new beginnings, but only if we can keep all our old routines, favorite parking spaces, and emotional support coffee mugs.
Here's the Thing About Opportunity
Opportunity rarely arrives when your life is perfectly organized. It doesn't wait until your bank account looks impressive, your house is spotless, your relationships are uncomplicated, and you've finally lost those last ten pounds.
Nope.
Opportunity usually shows up when you're wearing yesterday's sweatpants, your hair is questionable, and you've already got seventeen things going on.
And then it has the nerve to ask:
“So… are you ready?”
Ready? Absolutely not. But maybe that's the point.
Why Do We Talk Ourselves Out of Good Things?
Our brains love familiarity. Even when familiarity isn't making us happy. We know what to expect from the life we're living. We know the routines, the frustrations, the people, and the problems. And there's something oddly comforting about knowing exactly which nonsense you're going to deal with every Tuesday.
But opportunity? Opportunity comes with uncertainty. What if I fail? What if I make the wrong decision? What if I regret leaving? What if people think I've lost my mind?
First of all, people are going to have opinions about whether you stay, leave, succeed, fail, or decide to open a goat yoga studio. Or a print shop, making more T-shirts than you ever thought you would see.
Let them.
They're not the ones who have to live your life.
Sometimes the Bigger Risk Is Staying Where You Are
We spend so much time worrying about what could go wrong if we take a chance.
But here's a question we don't ask nearly enough:
What could go wrong if I don't?
What if you stay in the same place for another five years because you're afraid to try something new? What if you turn down the job, the move, the relationship, the adventure, or the business idea because you can't guarantee the outcome? What if the thing you're most afraid of doing turns out to be the very thing that changes your life?
And what if you actually succeed? Imagine that.
All that worrying, all those imaginary disasters, all those conversations you've had in your head with people who weren't even in the room…
And it works out. How incredibly inconvenient for your anxiety.
Taking an Opportunity Doesn't Mean Being Reckless
Now, before somebody quits their job, sells their house, buys a convertible, and moves to the beach because Becky said to take chances, let me clarify something.
I'm not saying throw common sense out the window. I'm saying stop confusing fear with a warning sign. There is a difference between a genuinely bad decision and a decision that simply makes you uncomfortable. Do your research. Ask questions. Consider your finances. Make a plan. But at some point, you've got to stop researching the research you've already researched.
You can prepare forever and still never feel completely ready.
What I've Learned About Starting Over
I've learned that life doesn't always move in a straight line. Sometimes the path you thought you'd follow changes. Sometimes what you wanted five years ago isn't what you want today. And sometimes you wake up one morning and realize that the life you've worked so hard to build is no longer the life you want to keep building.
That doesn't mean you failed. It means you've grown.
I've also learned that you can be grateful for everything you've experienced and still want something different. You can love the people in one chapter and still be ready to turn the page. You can be scared and excited at the same time. And you can absolutely make a major life decision while simultaneously wondering whether you've completely lost your mind.
That's called being an adult. “Apparently”.
My Why Not Me? Moment
For years, I've believed in asking one simple question:
Why not me?
Why can't I try something different? Why can't I build something new? Why can't I change directions? Why can't I take the opportunity that shows up in front of me?
Who decided that at a certain age we're supposed to stop exploring, stop dreaming, and settle into a life of predictable Tuesdays?
Not me.
And here's something else I've figured out:
You don't have to hate where you are to be excited about where you're going.
Read that again. Sometimes you're not running away from anything. You're simply running toward something. Something that feels right. Something that makes you curious.
Something that reminds you that you're still very much alive.
So When Opportunity Comes…
Open the door. Maybe even put on pants first. But open it. You don't have to have every answer. You don't have to know exactly how the story ends. And you certainly don't need permission from everyone who's gotten comfortable with the version of you they've always known.
Take the chance. Make the move. Apply for the position. Start the business. Say yes to the adventure. Because one day, you're going to look back on your life. And I'd much rather say, “Well, that was an interesting decision,” than spend the rest of my life wondering, “What if?”
Besides, if everything goes sideways, at least you'll have a good story. And possibly a new T-shirt slogan.
Final Thought
Life is not a dress rehearsal. There is no magical age when you suddenly become too old to begin again. And there's no rule saying you have to stay the same person, in the same place, doing the same things simply because that's what everyone expects. Sometimes the greatest opportunities come disguised as inconvenient timing, uncomfortable decisions, and a whole lot of uncertainty.
So when opportunity comes knocking, don't spend so much time wondering whether you're ready that you miss your chance to answer.
Why not you? Why not now?
And if somebody asks what you're doing? Just smile and say: “I'm not having a midlife crisis. I'm having a midlife upgrade.”
— Becky Shaffer—
Author of The Why Not Me? Concept
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