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THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT MAN LOSES
Kathlyn Q. Barrozo
Class of 1991, University of Santo Tomas
B.S. Medical Technology
Have you ever considered how many times an opportunity had presented itself to you, and you dared not take
it because you thought it was just too much of taking a risk? This is probably the most accurate significance of
the difference between a chance and an opportunity. While opportunity presents itself as a strong likelihood,
chance is a big gamble, a huge risk.
For instance, I have decided to do writing because there are many opportunities out there for writers. But if I
apply for a writing job, and there are lots of applicants for one job, then the chances of my getting picked is
pretty slim. So there. Despite the seeming interchangeability between them, a chance and an opportunity are
essentially different. Somehow, taking an opportunity is a more real, concrete step towards the attainment of a
certain goal. Taking a chance entails a larger risk, no matter how calculated.
Oftentimes, opportunity comes in many forms. It does not appear to you as a vision or a dream that says, “Take
me now.” Such is the beauty of free will—we may or may not take the opportunities that come our way, and
yet, fortunately, by some strange twist of fate, they still come. This proves that we are constantly under
examination by a Greater Power, One that wishes to purify us and make us see the beauty of His Creation and
gives us partnership towards making everything more beautiful—if we grab the opportunities that are sent our
way.
You might lament your lot and say that you get such slim pickings. Remember what they say in show business—
there are no small parts, only small actors. No matter what roles are assigned to us, no matter how insignificant
our contribution to the world may seem to be, we are a substantial part of this universe. We have been put
here to search for our purpose, and that purpose may be found only if we make use of all the opportunities
presented to us.
If all you do is complain about your life, if all you do is have envy in your heart (which is a capital sin, by the
way), you will lose sight of all the rich opportunities that come your way. Much like taking a bus ride, there will
always be space for you, no matter how crowded the bus may be. You might take half of the journey standing
up, but that space where you’re standing might prove to be an opportunity for you to spend the next half of
your journey comfortably seated beside the window. Not all passengers on the bus are headed your way,
anyway. That’s quite good to remember.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. Can you name some opportunities that have come your way that you have willingly taken? How about those
you have let slip away?
2. Is it ever easy to take risks? How can you personally know whether something is a chance or a real
opportunity?
3. Do you think that opportunities are given fairly?
4. How do you think your life would be different if you had not taken the opportunities you took?
5. Have you ever been a chance passenger on a bus/train/subway/plane? Be able to tell what happened.