Life as an Opportunity

Life as an Opportunity

 

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

 

This commentary is based on one of the  text messages sent daily by a friend from Davao City,  in southern Philippines. Deo Escarilla, who  have retired as an airline executive, makes himself busy as a religious volunteer in their parish.  The full message actually reads: “we become happier, much happier, when we realized life is an opportunity rather than an obligation”. Deo makes use of the information technology as an opportunity to spread righteous reminders, unmindful of the money he shells for such a spiritual cause because, he derives happiness from doing it.

 

Opportunity has no compulsion, hence, done with all willingness, unlike obligation that is sometimes done with a heavy heart. Life, for that matter is something to be thanked of for having been granted, something to be happy about. It is not easy to bring out of  a mother’s womb in whole, a breathing bundle of joy. Some couples patiently spend years of incessant praying to have a child. Some even go to the extent of adopting just so, they would feel fulfilled as parents.

 

We all have a purpose in life. It fires up our desire to seize opportunities so that we can become useful creatures with intelligence. Opportunities are just around us waiting to be grabbed… opportunity to help others even with a few coins that we can spare , opportunity to show our gratitude to the Creator for His patience in listening to our grumbles, opportunity to help others up from where they faltered so that they make amends, opportunity to sing to make others happy, opportunity to visit the elderly in special homes to make them feel an unsolicited love, opportunity to land a good paying job, opportunity to meet the right mate for life, etc.

 

Our sincerity in exerting all those efforts has a return in happiness that has no monetary measure. That ecstatic feeling envelops us after we have accomplished what is called for by a grabbed opportunity.  It is unfortunate that others consider some opportunities that come their way as hindrances… a wrong attitude. Everything we have in life is earned, even those that are inherited, some of which even involve lawsuits.

 

We should always look forward to the promise of happiness from doing something as best as we can…that is, live life to the fullest, be nice to others and, most especially, profusely thank Him for granting it to us.