opportunity

According to dictionary.com,

op·por·tu·ni·ty

–noun, plural -ties.

1. an appropriate or favorable time or occasion: Their meeting afforded an opportunity to exchange views.

2. a situation or condition favorable for attainment of a goal.

3. a good position, chance, or prospect, as for advancement or success.

I have heard this word thrown around in my college career probably hundreds of times, and for good reason.  Us college students have the opportunity to get a good education, to think, to read, to write, to ponder, to converse, to grow, to self-reflect, etc.  At USD in particular I have had the opportunity to learn in small classrooms, to talk to most of my professors one-on-one, to major in 2 subjects, to study abroad in Madrid and travel to 5 additional countries, to meet many new people from all over, to make life-long friends, to become part of various communities and organizations, to volunteer at an orphanage in Tijuana, to sing for hundreds of students at weekly Sunday mass, psychiatric patients, and female inmates, and to live by the ocean, to name a few.  Seeing as this is my last official "Thanksgiving break" as a college student, I am specifically looking back on all of the opportunities I have had in college and am truly truly thankful.  They really have molded me into the person I am today.        

Someone recently mentioned how recognizing a problem or setback can lead to an opportunity for improvement, and this made me think that the word opportunity can be interchangeable to make a situation more positive.  Lately everyone is stressed with end-of-the-semester group projects, papers, and exams, and I'm hearing a lot of "I can't wait for this semester to just be over."  I personally don't want it to be over, because that will leave only 1 semester left of college for me, but I'm also trying to be more grateful and see more things around me as opportunities.  Group presentations, for example (I have 3 coming up), are kind of difficult to organize and take a lot of effort, but they are really an opportunity to show the class what we have learned and an opportunity to practice public speaking skills, which will be very important in the business world.  So I pray that after the relaxing Thanksgiving break, we come back to school and embrace the opportunities that the last few weeks of the semester present us with, instead of trying to rush it along.  I also pray that I adopt a more hopeful attitude, keeping in mind the possible opportunities (specifically opportunities involving a job) in my future.  I encourage you to reflect on and embrace the opportunities that you encounter daily, and realize that despite whatever challenges may come with them, they are a blessing.