WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY
By
Al Marquis
When I was growing up, everyone in our hometown pronounced our family’s last name as Maŕ-kwis. My father often pointed out that it should be pronounced Mar-keé, but there was no chance of changing it.
But when I went off to college, I decided to begin introducing myself as Al Marquis (pronounced Mar-keé). No one ever again pronounced my name Maŕ-kwis, except old high school buddies.
This got me to thinking. It occurred to me that there are certain events that take place in our lives which give us a chance to change who we are. The trouble is that these events do not last very long. An opportunity opens and then it quickly closes—like a window. Therefore, I call these events “windows of opportunity.”
A window of opportunity opens whenever you change your environment. Maybe a foster child moves in with a new family. Or you might change schools or jobs. The point is that nobody in your new environment really knows who you are. Thus, you have an opportunity to be anyone you want.
If you don’t recognize a window of opportunity when it occurs, then it will pass you by, and you will be the same person you have always been. On the other hand, if you recognize a window of opportunity and take advantage of it in order to make some positive changes, you can progressively become a better person each time you change environments.
Suppose, for example, that you have a reputation for being shy. In your new environment, you can try to be more talkative and outgoing and change everyone’s perception of you. Suppose you have had a reputation for being lazy. In your new environment, you can help clean up, you can help cook dinner, help clean off the table, keep your room neat and clean, finish projects before the deadline, etc., and no one will ever again think you are lazy. Suppose in your old environment you had difficulty making friends because you badmouthed people behind their back and they found out about it. In your new environment, you could make up your mind to be nice to everybody and never say anything bad about someone else. Think about how many more friends you would have!
To take advantage of a window of opportunity, you need to plan to make these changes before the first day in your environment. When people meet you for the first time, they make a first impression quickly. Before ever setting foot in your new environment, make the decision to change, and begin implementing those changes at your very first meeting.
You need to be honest with yourself in order to make positive changes in your personality or in the way you conduct yourself. You must honestly assess why people don’t like you or why you have no respect or why you haven’t gotten good grades or why your boss doesn’t think you are a good employee. (If you are not sure, ask someone.) Then figure out how you can become a better person, and when you hit that window of opportunity, MAKE THE CHANGE!
Between the ages of 15 and 25, a person might encounter a dozen windows of opportunity. If someone never takes advantage of this and never makes any changes, they will be the exact same person at age 25 that they were at age 15. On the other hand, if you recognize windows of opportunity, make an honest self-assessment of yourself and implement changes that will make you a better person and improve your life, think about how much happier you will be at age 25.
Windows of opportunity are wonderful chances to improve your life. Take advantage of them.
