Missed Opportunities That Became Blessings

Missed Opportunities That Became Blessings

When I look back at the past, I often realize that the opportunities I missed turned out to be blessings in disguise. At the time, they seemed like wonderful offers, even secure paths to a guaranteed future. Yet in hindsight, I feel grateful that I did not go down those roads.

They promised immediate rewards, but if that path meant depending on someone else rather than relying on myself, then it was not the right answer. The truer path, though harder, was the one I had to carve out on my own.

Life as an artist is intense. There are not many fixed routes, so you must treat it like running a business—pioneering your way forward, making decisions at every fork in the road. Each time I face a choice, I ask myself whether I made the right decision. That is when I turn to my own guiding principles. My first question is: Do you love this path? Because if I do not love the work, I cannot sustain it or feel passion for it. Only by enjoying the journey can I ever complete it. My second question is: Can I walk this path on my own? Can I move forward without depending on others?

In the beginning, I often felt resentful. I envied colleagues who seemed to secure positions easily, who appeared to rise quickly. Sometimes they even advised me to “stand in the right line” to gain favor. I worried that I was too rigid, moving forward stubbornly without looking around. But now, after ten years, I see a different picture. Many of those who seemed to sprint ahead have veered off onto other roads, while I—whom others doubted would last—am still here, still doing the work. I have learned that walking quietly, step by step, without distraction, can actually be the better way. Because I never depended on anyone, I did not waste time looking back; I just kept walking forward.

Along this path, I have received other offers. Some promised financial stability, respectable titles, or secure positions. But I knew that if I accepted them, I would risk losing my identity as an artist. Thankfully, I seem to have avoided such offers as if by destiny. Of course, there were also opportunities I knocked on and did not receive. Some doors were closed, but the gatekeepers gave me a clearer vision of reality. For that, I am still grateful—even if, at the time, I felt disappointment.

Even now, there are no definitive answers. Each day, I simply do the work before me and move steadily forward. What I do know is that I am always advancing, and I am growing, little by little. Where will these efforts lead me in the future? I cannot say for certain. But I hope that the path I walk, however uncertain, will one day be of help to someone else.
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