Do you do something important by waiting for the right moment? And when do you know when the right moment comes? For that matter, is there a right moment? These questions are not simple to answer.
Most people would wait all their lives for the right time to start doing something and that moment never comes. They pass away leaving disappointment behind and some degree of pain to their family for missing out something important.
Whether you mean to change the world or just a personal whim, many people shatter their dreams by not doing anything at all, later to blame people or circumstances around them.
My uncle’s hopes to win a raffle jackpot never materialised and so the hotel bell boy’s dream to go to college.
My friend’s idea of wealth exploded on his face when his shares plunged because he was holding on for the right moment to sell to make a killing.
Sometimes, acting on the spur of the moment may bring good dividends though careful people see it as reckless.
Look at this example, a man comes back home and tells his family that they are going for a short holiday. He planned the trip, while driving back home. The wife says it is too short notice and they cancel it. The moment never comes again because the man cannot get away from his work.
Good ideas can pop in the head like an uninvited guest. Either you entertain them or make an excuse and show them the door. They are not planned. They just come up, but the challenge is to know whether it is worth your while or not.
Three years ago, my old colleague decided to leave Oman to settle in Abu Dhabi. He said it was “the right moment” for him to do it. He did not want to leave it too late and regret it later.
I saw him last week and that is the reason I am writing about it.
He is in the senior management position of a top company and he has no regrets. He was not bluffing either because he was addressing a press conference in Muscat representing his company.
His “right moment” was not a disappointment. It worked well for him. I think one has to make it happen.
You have to have a vision and the courage to implement what you see in your mind. I would say that there are no right moments. Or bad ones for that matter. You need to create them and start the initiative when the urge comes.
All of us have a high degree of inventiveness in us. We are either too lazy or lack the nerve to do anything about it. If you don’t reach out for a plate of food yourself nobody would place it on the table for you. The world is fast becoming a self-serve and moments of inspirations are not handed out charitably.
I don’t anymore blame people, who do things at the drop of the hat. They don’t always get it right, but out of 10 tries, they manage to hit the right chord at least once.
I believe that there is a degree of carelessness in every success. I am not saying that you have to be irresponsible in everything you do, but acting responsibly throughout your life can be tiring.
Once or twice in your life, you may need to walk outside the line to fine tune your bearings. Well, in a nutshell, people tend to measure their lives when they retire to see their achievements. But retirement can be the moment you have been waiting for to draw your own line and create opportunities for yourself.
The writer is an Oman-based freelance columnist. This article has been reproduced from the Khaleej Times.