Written by Zip Nguyen's father, Phu Nguyen, author of "Story of the week" (Mỗi tuần một chuyện) series —Translated by Hang Nguyen
Click here to read the original post written in Vietnamese.
People usually talk about “opportunities” and “hunting opportunities”. So what is an
opportunity?
There are various concepts of opportunity. But first, please understand that “opportunity” and “good timing” both share the exact definition, which is the result of an aspiration followed by a course of actions to achieve something for an individual, a family, a business, or even an entire country, or an era. On the other hand, an opportunity is something invisible and unpicturable that we can only feel, seize, and then act on to bring our dreams to life.
I still remember that during an inspirational exchange, "Proud to be a Navy soldier", a young officer asked me a question: "Can you share with us your experience on how to become a successful individual?" I gave my answer without hesitation: "The first thing is that we need to always have aspiration and enthusiasm, then persistently and continuously try our best to achieve what we want. There are times, though, when these still don't seem to be enough to establish success. For example, in football, luck is an important part of the success on the pitch; but luck only occurs to the strong team, not the weak. In life, if we always try our best, persistently, then when the right timing comes, we will be successful!"
I would love to emphasize that in this sense, it is luck that defines an opportunity, a good timing for us to seize and act on our aspirations, and make them possible with our relentless efforts.
However, there are times when opportunities come suddenly, and not until they don’t exist anymore are you aware that that is an opportunity. In that case, you might regret it, but don't be too upset since opportunities will never run out for you. Opportunities are invisible, but always lurking right in front of you, and all around you. Never lose faith, and learn to recognize them while working hard to get what you desire. One day, the opportunity will come your way, along with success, as long as you know how to take advantage of that opportunity!
------------------------------
Do you consider yourself someone who can seize opportunities? If so, what have you been doing to take advantage of the opportunities that come your way? If not, at which points are you feeling stuck? Please comment below, or don't hesitate to send a message to @bloomincrisis via Instagram/Facebook or email feedback to bloomincrisis@gmail.com!