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5 I The Best Online Education System in the world
KEEPING YOUR SIGHTS ON OPPORTUNITIES
Kathlyn Q. Barrozo
Class of 1991, University of Santo Tomas
B.S. Medical Technology
What sets visionary people apart from others is their inane sense of obligation to do something about the
problems they face rather than just get motionless and do nothing at all. Visionary people see possibilities
where ordinary mortals see walls. Where most people see thorns along the road, visionaries see roses. That
sets apart people who take opportunities as a way to improve themselves, as opposed to whiners and losers
who take opportunities as a way to show their weakness and incapability.
If there had been no people like Bill Gates or Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg, we wouldn’t have Microsoft or
Apple, Inc. or Facebook. These people saw the potential of the computer world, the internet, the web. They
saw infinite possibilities, and promptly went on their way working on those possibilities. And they have
attained the respect and admiration of people the world over. There are many more like them all over the
world, who have continuously worked on many, many possibilities, notwithstanding the costs nor the setbacks.
The world can be a daunting place to live in. It is basically cruel, and people can be so unfriendly and selfish.
But that’s a reality we must all face. How we turn things around in our favor is our choice. How we see
opportunities is an opportunity in and of itself. We weren’t born with an instruction manual, our parents had to
rear us from scratch and love and good old common sense. It is therefore our duty to make ourselves worthy of
all that love and caring. True, there may have been instances when our parents could not provide us all the
opportunities we so richly deserve, but that doesn’t mean we can’t possibly find our own.
Unfortunately, we humans, despite being gifted with supreme intellect, would often balk at the idea of taking a
bold step ahead. We tend to say: It’s such a great risk; it’s too unlikely; it’s just a waste of time. That’s what
opportunity technically is, a risky undertaking, an unlikelihood, a waste of time. But the wastage comes from
not following up on the opportunity, from not carefully assessing the situation, from a plain, headstrong
mindset.
In our quest for our purpose and self-worth, let us seek perfection—in thought, word and deed. It is but human
to be flawed, but we have been designed to be perfect, since our Omnipotent Creator is so. But being such, our
Maker does not wish us to be proud and arrogant. We must always be humble, especially when the
opportunities that come to us seem to be tiny compared to what others get. Be thankful that an opportunity
presents itself to you, because that opportunity wasn’t a whimsy thing—it was created for you.
Questions for Discussion:
1. Try to read up on the famous people mentioned in the essay. Be able to talk about their contributions to
society.
2. If you were given the chance to talk to any one of those famous people, what would you tell them? What
would you talk about?
3. What kinds of obstacles do you think visionaries face when an opportunity presents itself?
4. How can we turn a challenge into an opportunity?
5. Do you fear challenges? Talk about how you always handle obstacles in your way to self-growth.