In his Things Fall Apart, the world-acclaimed Nigerian prolific writer Chinua Achebe says, "When a man says yes, his chi says yes also." This popular proverb of the Igbo-speaking people of Southeastern Nigeria emphasises the importance of taking initiative and making choices in one's life. 'Chi' in Igbo culture refers to a personal god, a spiritual being that is believed to guide and protect an individual. It suggests that one's fate is not a predetermined path but a journey shaped by one's own decisions and indecisions. Your actions and choices have the power to impact your destiny significantly; if you make affirmative choices and take positive steps, your spiritual being, or chi, will support you.

From our everyday perspective, when you have the chance to do something or try something new, you should take advantage of it because you might not get another opportunity like it again. The former British Prime Minister Churchill famously said that a pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. Instead of complaining about the noise at the door when the opportunity knocks, get up and open the door. Even if you are not sure how great this opportunity is, welcome the opportunity and learn if you can accommodate it or not, rather than not opening the door at all.

Yes, life is the epitome of problems, challenges, and turbulence, yet turbulence is the life force, an opportunity that we must use to make the much-needed changes in our lives. Whenever or wherever you see darkness, there is an extraordinary opportunity for the light to burn brighter at a given time. But the question is: How does one know the right opportunity? That leaves us with the paradox that taking every opportunity will leave one with none; in other words, if you say 'yes' to every opportunity that comes your way, you might end up spreading yourself too thin and not being able to capitalise on any of them entirely. After all, we all want choices, especially in our career journey.  That requires patience and wisdom to look carefully to make the proper assessment of the situation to determine when that light burns brighter so that you may grab it.

 In the process of trying to determine when the light burns, you are bound to face failure; that is part of nature and the journey to success. However, remember that true success is not just about the result but also about how often you bounce back from your failures. Each failure is a lesson, a stepping stone on the path to your success. In reality, opportunity knocks all the time, but you must be ready for it; that readiness is only possible if you have the right life equipment to welcome that opportunity. Thus, rather than waiting for a chance to knock on your door, get up and knock on the opportunity's door if you wish to enter.  Destiny is part of life, but destiny hardly comes to fulfilment without effort. When opportunity comes to your doorstep, you must take action to fulfil your destiny; action brings opportunity and destiny to life.

Hence, when you have a chance to do something or try something new, seize it because you might not get another chance like it again. Next time when you make wishes, do not fold your hands and wait for the fulfilment without making an effort. Open the door when you hear a knock because that might be the messenger of the packet you have been anxiously waiting for. Seize every opportunity that comes your way, for it is these opportunities that shape your destiny and lead you to your dreams. Remember, every opportunity is a stepping stone to your dreams, so seize them with all your might and let them guide you to your destiny. 

Video: https://youtu.be/jK4EwisLvt8