dlehnersauder

Throughout my young life I was barraged with a multitude of “life lessons” provided by my parents, teachers and anyone who felt they had unique and applicable philosophical advice to give. Most of their teachings fell on deaf ears. I was bombarded with catchy sayings generalizing how I should conduct my life and I recall rarely implementing the teachings. However, every so often a catchy saying would be pertinent, forcing me to ponder on the teaching and actively attempt to incorporate it into my conduct and personality. When I was 11 years old, my father gave me his first (and to the best of my knowledge his last) corny, catchy philosophical saying:

“Treat every opportunity as if it was the only opportunity you will ever receive.”

Though overtly simple and somewhat trite, this lesson has proved to be the most important lesson I have ever learned. My father understood opportunity. As a refugee, he came to Canada with few possessions and even fewer opportunities. However, he told me he worked tirelessly and embraced every miniscule opportunity he received to improve his standard of living. He worked his way from a non-recognized refugee to a well-respected professor and researcher. He lived, and continues to live, by his corny, catchy saying.

I embrace this life lesson and apply it to everything I do. I approach my education as an opportunity and privilege and work as hard as I can to make the most of it. Every job opportunity I am given is scrutinized to determine if the job is suitable for me and if it holds benefit to my development. Often, opportunities are not simply given. As a result, the opportunity must be created through initiative and effort. If an opportunity is not present, I will do my best to create it. Whether the opportunity pertains to my education, professional and/or personal life I will always do my best to embrace and explore it. Like a catchy song, a catchy saying can get stuck in your head. Unlike most catchy songs, I never want to forget this saying.

Daniel Boissonneau-Lehner