Opening Up to Opportunities

Have you ever considered how closed-minded we can be when it comes to change, learning something new, or looking outside the box for alternative solutions? I’ve recently witnessed some of this and it boggles my mind how commonplace it is – especially among older adults. I can remember being in my twenties and not really thinking too much into anything when making decisions. I realize now, that can be good and bad, depending on the decisions. Yet, there was something beneficial about being naive, ignorant, and/or immature enough to not realize all the possible negative consequences to a decision. I guess I just didn’t look that far ahead into anything. That “dumb luck” helped me make some major changes in my life that put me on the right path to success. I made a major move, out of state, at the age of 20 to start a new life. My only prerequisite? I wanted to live in a bigger town on Lake Michigan. I literally looked at a map, saw a town with big letters on the lake – and moved. I look back and laugh at the carefree attitude – and the lack of planning I had. But guess what? It worked – kind of. I moved to Michigan and stayed there 2 years – and then knew I needed to move again. Each move, I improved my surroundings and grew from the experience.

Would I do that again? Heck no. I’m too mature, responsible and logical to do that now. What happened? I guess the older you get, the more risk you have in making major moves out of the blue, without a plan. But, you also get more comfortable in your current surroundings, slowly resisting change and opportunities, as you grow older. It’s sad, really. I see people in their 60’s and 70’s who refuse to get near a computer. They say its because they “don’t need it” and “don’t want to get addicted to it” but what they are really saying is they fear the heck out of it. They fear looking stupid, being stupid, hurting the computer, and essentially they fear learning something new.

I witness this myself in learning more about social media and redesigning my website. I think its going to be really difficult – in learning the new programs, and once I’m in it – I realize how silly I am to think like that. This is the kind of stuff that prevents us from moving forward, getting better, living easier and learning more. Can you imagine if we all acted like the 70 year old man who refused to get near a computer? Where would our world be at this point in time? We would be very much behind, at the very least. Thank God we have the Movers and Shakers out there who are willing to risk and motivate us to move forward.

I suggested my residential community post information on the website instead of keeping it in their office where people can only access the info M-F 9-5 (impossible for working people.) Do you know what the manager said to me, “I don’t think we can do that.” Why? I ask. He replies, “It’s never been done that way before.” So there you have it. A perfect example of what happens when we close our minds and stay in our comfort zones. It’s just not healthy, is it?

I think we need to be a little less conservative when it comes to making decisions and looking at negative consequences. However, I do believe in planning ahead (unlike my mind at the age of 20) and looking at your risk factor while realizing the only way to progress is to take a chance, dive in and expand your horizons.

-Renee Kennedy-Edwards, MS
Executive & Personal Coach

4 Responses to “Opening Up to Opportunities”

1. Molly says:

   July 20, 2011 at 7:07 pm

   Nice blog– I can’t help but say ‘thank you’ for discussing in such a positive light the ‘free’ choices people my age allow themselves to make. Where logic holds its purpose, I thought it was nice that you mentioned we should all be open to pursuing dreams– No matter how ‘off the wall’ they may seem. :]

   Molly
2. landscape design and construction says:

   June 23, 2011 at 2:18 pm

   Searching for this for some time now – i guess luck is more advanced than search engines :)
3. admin says:

   May 9, 2011 at 12:20 pm

   Thanks for your comments, Caron. Being comfortable is certainly not a bad thing – because there is strength in stability. Yet, we can become stale staying in our comfort zones, especially if we are turning down opportunities to learn and grow. A question to ask yourself is, “Am I comfortable here because I am truly happy or is it because I fear anything different?”
4. Caron says:

   May 6, 2011 at 12:30 pm

   Hmmmmm! I guess this pertains to me! It is difficult to leave one’s “comfort zone” when we get older…especially when we are very happy and satisfied where we are. I agree new experiences help us grow. And of course growth is good at any age. Perhaps moving to a new location would keep me younger????