Welcome to How to Keep Writing Wednesdays, where you'll find a boost of encouragement to help you keep the words flowing.
Let Opportunity In
Opportunity is knocking. Are you going to answer?
I know you may be suspicious. You didn’t get a phone call, a letter, a text, an email—how were you supposed to know when it would show up? You’re not dressed, your hair is a mess. And the house…don’t get us started on the house. In a way, it’s not fair—you didn’t get any warning, you don’t have enough time to pack. You need to make arrangements. You need to wrap up a few loose ends. You’re not saying that you don’t want to go wherever opportunity leads you, you’re just saying that you’re not ready…yet.
So here’s the real question. If not now, then when?
There’s something you’ve been waiting for, something you need or want. You know exactly what I’m talking about—it may be more time, more money, more help, more breaks. It may be a new job. Maybe it’s something less concrete, like inspiration, confidence, or love. Or even just a change of scenery.
So what’s holding you back from throwing open that door? Check all that apply: the unknown, the risk, the uncertainty, the fear. You can tell yourself that you’re just trying to be practical. That you need more time to plan, to prepare yourself or others. You don’t want to rush into anything.
You may even be terrified.
That’s okay. Throw open the door anyway and let it in. It may be awkward or uncomfortable at first. It may not seem like it’s working out. You have some catching up to do—maybe even a lot. It might seem like a terrible idea, a mistake, a poor decision on your part. It may even feel easier to go back to the way things used to be. And sometimes that might be the right call. But here’s the thing—you won’t know what you have or what’s waiting for you unless you decide you’re willing to open a door or two and see for yourself.
Writing is a great way to see what doors might be in front of you. Writing helps you see what you have, what might be possible, point you in the direction you want to go. It offers clarity, stimulates your creativity, even builds connections in your brain so something that once seemed impossible suddenly becomes possible.
People create their own way everyday. It may look like those people got lucky, that it was random or happenstance, but they’ll be the first to tell you that wasn’t the case. Opportunity knocked and they were ready—they answered, they let it in. They didn’t dismiss it as kooky or run through the list of pros and cons until they talked themselves out of it. They recognized the possibilities, and that was enough. Here’s another thing worth remembering: at one point they were standing exactly where you are today. Ready and waiting.
Opportunity is knocking—can you hear it?