Options and Opportunities: Options and Opportunities

Perhaps you were wondering why this blog is called "options and opportunities"... So, now having time to sit down and not worry about anything, I can tell you.

Options: Something you are given and have the choice to exercise.
Opportunities: Something you see, seize with the prospect of benefiting from.

Perhaps, this seems like a play on words, the nuances lost in semantics. Yet, the key difference is who is in control of what and when! Although options are nice, sometimes very nice, I would much prefer having opportunities because they are not as limiting as options. I have included the definitions of both words at the end of this post (pulled from www.dictionary.com); however, the definitions are not the focus of this post but rather the impact of these words. So here goes!

Although in a business setting options are often equated with incentives, inducements, they are still limited in their scope either in amount, time frame, terms and are often contingent on a separate, but not always wholly independent event (such as recruitment). A very common option in business is stock options. At the outset this seems great but as you delve further into the option, it becomes apparent that it is contingent on several factors such as: employment (both initial and continuing), vesting periods, and actually having enough monies to exercise these options! Keep in mind, options are something given to you by someone else, a someone else who gives these to you, to control the situation, to control you, your choices, to limit your choices! Although it might feel pretty good to have outrageously great options, they are nevertheless are what the person gives based on what the market will bear, on what the entity/person thinks you are worth and don't involve much risk taking by the person taking them (in the whole scheme of things)! Although options are a fact of business life, why run life in a series of options? Why be at the mercy of someone else's plans, whims and moods?

Opportunities on the other hand, are only as limited as the person siezing them! Capitalizing on opportunities often leads to other opportunities previously not seen, not available. Siezing opportunities often entails meeting new people, forming new networks, and reaching beyond your comfort level (i.e., growing as a person!). Siezing opportunities often means weighing risks and taking chances. Siezing opportunities often separates true collegues from fair weather ones, from ones who are or have become complacent in their current job. Siezing opportunities often separates fair weather friends from true friends (shows you who believes in you and who doesn't!). Although siezing opportunities may lead to failure (and even dismal failure at that), the upside is that success is so sweet in so many arenas. The key success is personal growth! (Stop shaking your heads! You were waiting for me to say financial success! But think about this, if you don't believe in yourself, grow as a person, how will you get others to believe in you, enough to go along with you, support you in your venture?) There is the obvious financial and professional successes, gains. Aside from the aforementioned, the most striking success is how many more opportunities this will make available. Some people call this fortuitous, propitious; however, I would like to believe that this is what they call being the master of your destiny (sorry for this old worn out cliche!). Interesting enough, siezing opportunities often allows you to give options to others!

So, now armed with these thoughts, which side would you rather have? Options? Opportunities? Have you noticed that each word has been coloured throughout this post? I made options red because you really need to be careful not to get lulled into complacency, not to become a sheep, a blind follower, to stop and weigh the long term consequences of taking the options. I made opportunities green because their is so much potential in so many arenas available to those who are bold enough to sieze them! So are you are you a follower (options) or leader (opportunities)?

op·tion
n.

The act of choosing; choice. See Synonyms at choice.
The power or freedom to choose.

The exclusive right, usually obtained for a fee, to buy or sell something within a specified time at a set price.

The privilege of demanding fulfillment of a contract at a specified time.

A stock option.

The right of the holder of an insurance policy to specify the manner in which payments are to be made or credited to the policyholder.

Baseball. The right of a major-league team to transfer a player to a minor-league team while being able to recall the player within a specified period.