Opportunistic Behavior

Often times throughout my life I have encountered situations where I could have easily been opportunistic. I believe I was raised with good morals, so taking advantage of others for my gain did not seem morally correct. Taking advantage of others and being opportunistic do not sound like similar concepts however. I often identify these situations and try and make sure my actions will not negatively affect others without them knowing. A few summers ago, I experienced an instance when I could’ve been opportunistic but I passed off the opportunity to my sister.

            When I was growing up, my neighbors would have me do menial chores for them for small amounts of money. Watering flowers, walking the dog, and picking up the mail while they were on vacation were a few of these tasks. I was excited to do these jobs because the small income allowed me to fund my own indulgences as a young boy. I eventually gained a real job over the summer and earned income from that.

            A few summers ago, my neighbors came to me again to see if I would continue maintaining their house when they went away for weekends and other trips. I knew that the tasks were easy, and I would still have my other job. However, I was aware that my sister still didn’t have a job and had been asking me if she could do some of the chores for money too. I told my neighbors that I wouldn’t be able to do it, but that my sister would be more than happy to maintain their house while they were gone.

            I think one factor that led me to not be opportunistic and take the easy job from my neighbors was that I felt greedy and almost selfish. My sister had no access to other jobs, and I already had a job. I also did not need the extra money from my neighbors. Instead of taking advantage of my experience and connections, I understood that it was now my sister’s turn to take on this opportunity. I think this idea is another factor that leads people to not be opportunistic. I was able to identify that I needed to pass on the job opportunity to my sister.

            I think this example relates to other cases where people can be opportunistic, but they choose not to out of a respect or understanding of the position that person is in. Instead of continuing to gain money from my neighbors, I gave the opportunity to my younger sister. Simple actions like this reiterate the idea of “good things come to those who wait.” After giving this opportunity to my sister, our relationship was strengthened because she understood what I had done for her. She knew that I could have continued to work for my neighbors but gave the opportunity to her instead.

            One of the most gratifying feelings is when another person passes up on an opportunity for you. This is especially true when this person is just performing a random act of kindness. Returning something that was lost or stolen is an example of a random action where someone could have been opportunistic and kept something that belonged to you. Often when these actions are in my benefit, I become more inclined to be less opportunistic in order to share the same feeling with another unsuspecting person.

             Although I encounter many situations where I can be opportunistic, I value my ability to pass the opportunity onto another person who would be even more grateful for it. The gratification of receiving a gesture is extremely satisfying, and it often leads to the creation of other opportunity’s and stronger relationships.