Opportunity is Knocking; Will You Open The Door?
When the COVID-19 pandemic situation first hit, there was a heightened sense of fear, panic, and confusion throughout the world. There was a way that everyone’s focus was on holding things together. The goal was to simply stay afloat until things settled down.
Now that some of that panic has eased up, and there’s an inkling that things might start to open up in some way, shape or form, I am sensing a question that’s begging to be answered: what’s the opportunity in this moment? Whether you are a CEO, a middle-manager, a parent, a student -- really, just by virtue of being human -- this is a question that needs to be entertained. The world is requiring all of us to come up with answers, both for ourselves as individuals and as a broader system.
While there is a longing to “go back to normal” the truth is that will not happen. It can’t. The world is different and will be feeling the effects of this radical shift for a long time to come. In light of this, there are two extreme responses that we can choose:
bury our heads and wait for things to “backslide” into the space where we were comfortable
OR
find the opportunity that is presenting itself and move ourselves into that space instead.
I think the latter course of action is the one that will serve all of us best. It’s about growth. It’s about emergence. It’s about BECOMING.
Usually experiences of growth and emergence happen over time, which means we can grow with a modicum of comfort and ease. We are used to easing into change.
Sometimes, however, we are forced to change rapidly. This is one of those times -- and we need to embrace it.
What is the particular change opportunity for you?
For your team?
For your company or organization?
For your family?
Nobody can answer this but you and those going through this with you. And, you do need to answer it. This is the moment. You’ve been presented with a gift. Don’t turn it away. Welcome it. Receive it. Embrace it.
Bottom-line: opportunity is knocking on your door, right here, right now. You could choose to ignore it and hope it goes away. Ignoring opportunity, however, will only leave you in the dust when the world moves on. And nobody likes to be left behind. So, when opportunity knocks, it really is wise to answer.