The Irish writer James Joyce suffered from eye disease, and his vision declined significantly after the age of fifty. Consequently, his family placed an advertisement in the newspaper to find an assistant to help him with his writing. Joyce did not turn anyone away; instead, he gave each applicant a copy of his book, *Ulysses*, and asked them to read it carefully and return in one week.
A week later, the applicants arrived early. Joyce, however, did not pose any interview questions. He simply said apologetically, "I have already found the right candidate. Please, everyone, head back." The crowd was indignant. Joyce explained, "None of you have actually read my book, so how could I have deceived you?"
As the applicants began to argue, some even claiming they could recite the entire book, Joyce smiled and pointed to an unassuming young man beside him. "Perhaps what you say is true," he said, "but please open my book to page 87. I specifically marked a sentence there: 'When facing important matters, a wise person treats a week as three days.' Only this young man noticed it and reported for duty on the fourth day. That is why I chose him."
The crowd opened their books, discovered the hidden secret, and were left speechless. In life, many people complain that opportunity does not favor them, not realizing that opportunity is often right in front of them. Those who are prepared are able to seize opportunities to change their life trajectories and achieve greatness, while those who ignore them miss out on success. Instead of complaining, it is better to contemplate how to prepare for opportunities so as not to leave regrets in life.
