"Several Old Sayings Illustrate Opportunity" by Susan Pearl

Make hay while the sun shines

In my opinion opportunities are kind of like rainbows.  They may not last long before they disappear.  For an opportunity to be in place certain conditions and components have come together at the same time to allow for an opportunity to come to be.  The "opportunity" in this old saying is of a timely frame ---because "while the sun shines" is the time of opportunity.  The opportunity has only so much time and after that time is over so is the opportunity.  Some things can only be done at certain times making them time sensitive.  Deadlines are time sensitive. Planting and harvests are time sensitive, job openings are time sensitive.  Some opportunities are seasonal, Some are annual and some come and go year round.  There is nothing to do about making this kind of opportunity happen---when it is there, it is there and when it is not : it is not. Make hay while the sun shines and the hay you make will be done within the timeframe of opportunity. This opportunity can all of a sudden be there to be acted upon but like the sunshine conditions for this opportunity can change at any given moment. Make hay while the sun shines.



Strike while the iron is hot.


For blacksmiths " striking while the iron is hot" is a way of life to shape the product how they want it to be.  They forge iron and when it is tremendously hot that is when it is their opportunity to "strike while the iron is hot".  This is a limited amount a of time to work with the iron before it begins to cool.  The process for this opportunity can be repeated as the blacksmith desires but once again the opportunity will last for a certain timeframe that is recognizable to the blacksmith.  This is a different kind of opportunity because it is an opportunity the blacksmith can make as needed. Even in the hands of a very skilled blacksmith the iron may need to be reheated several times. If the iron is no longer hot it is too late to strike.  The opportunity is to "strike while the iron is hot".


That's like closing the barndoor after the horse is out


This old saying is showing that it can be too late to act on an opportunity because the opportunity is no longer there.