Opportunities

So today someone posed a question: When two jobs are offered, one with 'Good Salary' and another one with better 'Career Development', which one would you pick?

Off the top of my head, I would pick the latter seeing as I still find myself on the learning end of things. I don't know about most people, but to me, learning and experience count a lot and the thought of an indirect self-development sounds more fulfilling in the long run.

However, who can ever argue with more money? It is so hard to survive as it is these days with 'minimum wage'. The higher the income, the easier life gets, no?

It is a tough decision, and as always, right at that moment when you have to choose which path to take, you fear that you would be making the wrong decision and regret it for life. And that the similar opportunity will never again present itself.

True.

Most probably the same, exact opportunity will never come again. On the other hand, sometimes, better stuff actually do come your way. Or just different stuff, which if you had chosen differently in the first point, you would never come across.

I guess Life really is always a gamble. It just depends on how much risk you are willing to take. At the end of the day, when you come to questions like this, perhaps you can just ask yourself "What is it that I REALLY want?" and make your decisions based on that.

As you grow, you change; and as you change, your wants change along with you: with your past-experiences, your past-decisions, your level of maturity, your way of thinking.

There is this saying that goes, "Some say opportunity knocks only once. That is not true. Opportunity knocks all the time but you have to be ready for it."

I concur.

An anecdote:

A couple of years ago when I began my graduate studies, I was offered a tempting deal to yet further my education with a lucrative scholarship and prestigious affliations. At that point of time it was really tempting, but as luck would have it, it turned out that I was a tad unqualified for it (they wanted someone to do PhD, I only have my BSc). I wasn't too bummed but the thought of "Darn it, wasted!" did cross my mind.

Recently, I was yet again offered another similar deal. So here disproves the point that "opportunity only knocks once". And this time, I could consider it, seeing as I am almost at the end of my MSc. However, I declined.

Because, for one thing I know I am not ready (or should I say, not willing?) to sacrifice another 5 more years of my life STUDYING *groan*. And secondly, after these past two years, I have pretty much made up my mind that this is not what I want (on a lot of levels). I want something different.

So yes, I declined, irregardless of the "tempting bait" the big guns cast out. It was a bit hard to say "No", especially when people seem to think that you are so capable of succeeding in it.

Which is actually something else that I've always wondered. Why do other people always seem to have so much confidence in me than I do myself?

But yea, saying "No" gets easier with practice.

I digressed so much, I think I've lost my point.

Opportunities come and go. It pays to be more open-minded and not kick yourself too badly when you think you've foregone an opportunity. Life's too short for that.

* * *

I suck at making a point :P

*gasp* Less than 48 hours!