Missed Opportunities

        Have you ever looked back and realized the opportunities that slipped away? Was it inattention? Ignorance? Stupidity? Inflexibility? All of the above?

For me in my writing career, it was the last choice—all of the above. Times I didn't pick up on the things editors didn't say. The hints were there. In my ignorance, I didn't recognize them. I never thought I'd be one of those wanna-be authors who would never change a thing in my manuscript because “it's perfect the way it is". Yet, I can see now I subconsciously did that. There were times, too, when "life" consumed my attention and I didn't have the energy or time to follow up on hints or carefully-worded suggestions.

So, what do you do when the parade has passed you by? We can't change the past. Opportunities missed are opportunities gone. We can wallow in regrets, forever looking back and thinking “I should have…” Or, we can start anew.

I've started over, hopefully more alert, more savvy, taking chances on new ventures.

Look at what the world is like today, how different from when I graduated from high school and college. Back then (the Stone Age) we thought the career/job we chose would be what we'd do for the rest of our lives. What we didn't take into consideration was how fast everything changes. Flexibility is the key. Not being afraid of change. (That's a topic for another post.) How many times did opportunities pass me by because I was afraid to change, to try something new?

Going forward, I'm writing again with the old enthusiasm I had when I first started. It's exciting again. This time around, I'm going to pay closer attention, keep my ear to the ground and my nose to the grindstone. And if I do all that simultaneously, I'll probably need frequent visits to a chiropractor.