The Last Word

By Luis Deaker | Posted: Monday April 7, 2025

Today, I’m going to talk to you about opportunities.

Opportunities are important because they shape our paths in life—they give us the power to grow, define ourselves, and create meaning from our experiences. 

Every day we’re faced with countless opportunities. First of all, we have the opportunity to simply show up. Whether it’s just to school, to practice, or to anything, simply showing up is important as it’s the first step toward making things happen. Showing up means you’re choosing to be present and dependable. On top of that, often the hardest part of anything is simply starting. By showing up, you give yourself the opportunity to create momentum. 

Another opportunity we all have every day is the opportunity to work hard, whether that’s in the classroom or out on the sports field. By taking the opportunity to work hard, you give yourself a platform for success. It helps you to build discipline, grow your skills, and achieve meaningful goals. Even on a bad day, pushing through and still showing up and working hard builds confidence and results you can be proud of. 

Then there are the larger opportunities. Here at Otago Boys, we’re faced with new and exciting opportunities every day. I have let many of these opportunities pass me by and have gone on to regret it. These larger opportunities have the potential to have lasting impacts on us and create important memories. Big opportunities also teach you how to handle pressure, adapt to change, and learn from failure. These lessons stay with you and prepare you for even greater chances in the future. If you avoid large opportunities out of fear or self-doubt, you may miss out on what could be a defining moment in your life. So, while they might feel scary, taking larger opportunities is often a key ingredient in achieving growth and success. 

Opportunities are important because they give us the chance to grow, improve, and move closer to our goals. They open doors to new experiences, and challenges that help shape who we become. Whether it's learning a new skill, meeting someone influential, or stepping into a new role, opportunities allow us to explore our potential and push beyond our comfort zones. They also teach us valuable lessons—even when things don’t go perfectly. Taking opportunities shows courage and helps us build confidence, resilience, and a clearer sense of direction in life. “Nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity” - Jackson Brown.