When Opportunity Knocks – Will You Answer?

Article by PDG Brian Coffey, Assistant Rotary Coordinator

While researching a presentation topic ‘Opportunity Knocks’, I opened some interesting thoughts.

Few words inspire optimism, and hope for the future, like “opportunity”.

Opportunities come around like buses – but a lot of us miss them. Who has failed to take the opportunity to get the details of club or project visitors? Who rues sometime in your life not buying a house, land or keeping an old car?

During COVID, numerous clubs inspire us, as they adapt to opportunities. We have changed, learnt and evolved to meet our needs – those that did not or are too cautious may become a sad statistic of Rotary.

Change opens numerous opportunities if approached positively - understanding and respecting the hard work that is needed to change for the better. Some clubs will thrive on change, others will do it only to survive.

As clubs get new members, this is an opportunity to change; those new members provide opportunity in skills and excitement for a club.  

We are a business – our product is community service.

The more service we do, the more members we get, and the more members stay.

The chance to do something for somebody else, the self-fulfillment that comes in the process, and the return of that satisfaction to one’s own life, is richly rewarding.

Take advantage of COVID opportunities by:

1. Keeping Focussed: setting objectives and steps to follow to reach your goal.

2. Discovering The Power Of Vision: plan for now, and 12 months down the track. Reviewing that plan regularly

3. Learning To Unlearn: This will likely be a club’s biggest challenge, to change what we have ‘always done’, even though it is apparent that it is not right, now.

Being open to new processes will provide the opportunity to grow and change

4. Taking Advantage Of The Breaks: as an opportunity for reflection and to move forward for positive results by creating new habits, devising new strategies, and organising priorities.

5. Innovating To Grow: Spice up Zoom meetings, online education and training. Innovative teachers doing online classes are encouraging children to use the chat area – the students are remaining attentive, while doing spelling, and reading!

6. Practice Solidarity: Help those in need or those struggling.

7. Expand Your Comfort Zone: implement strategies to explore new ways of doing things to achieve better results.

Rotary is not just a club for people to join, but rather an invitation to endless opportunities.

• Acts of service create:

        - opportunities for people who need help

        - pathways for members to improve their lives

• leadership opportunities
• travel opportunities, to put your service ideas into action and make lifelong connections.

Past RI President Frank Devlyn, (2000-01) listed these opportunities as a list of ‘20 Reasons to Engage and Connect with Rotary’.

The list includes friendship, business and vocational development, personal growth, speaking skills, education, citizenship, fun, travel, entertainment, family, prestige, nice people and the opportunity to serve.

To grow and seize the opportunities – members need to be aware of your communities needs and react with club support. Go outside your club surrounds and engage in Rotary groups and Fellowships to personally engage in, and do good for ourselves and others.