When Opportunity Does NOT Knock…

Life has a way of slamming doors in our face – layoffs, not getting the promotion, not making the sale, being turned down by a potential mate. Divorce. Illness. We look at these things as failures or losses. But what if they’re not?

What if instead it’s a way to show us what path we should NOT go? 

If life is like a maze, then these “doors” that close on us are turns that are not going to get us to where we want to go – where we are supposed to go; the doors close because that’s not the best place for our talents and brilliance. This means, there is something better for you, another door that you have not yet found. The universe will keep slamming doors on you until you turn in the right direction.

This reminds me of Harry Potter in the 4th movie, The Goblet of Fire. During the Triwizard Tournament, in the fight to win the prize located in the middle of the maze of trees, if the participant approached a stretch that he or she was not supposed to go, the trees would magically close leaving only one way to turn.

And so this is life.

The problem is that we don’t see the doors closing as a gift, a way to direct us to the right path; rather we perceive this as an insult or “wrong” because in our minds we had an idea of what was “right.” We don’t like to be wrong. We can waste a lot of time being upset about how things are not the way we’d like them to be. This is not productive. We also don’t like to wait. So if the path we want to go is closed to us, that means we have to keep searching for the door that IS open…

We want it to be easy and fun. And it can be.

Think of the maze of life as an adventure. If this prospect doesn’t work out, trust that this experience will bring you closer to finding one that will. If this job interview doesn’t work out, then trust that if you keep doing what you need to do to hone your skills, network, and interview well, then you will attract the right position for you: THE RIGHT POSITION FOR YOU – not the one YOU THINK is right.

Our thoughts interfere with our ability to accept reality as it is because we become attached to our fantasies or ideas about how we think things should be. Then we become very upset because reality differs from our fantasy – our expectations about life.

Let go of the ‘shoulds’. Be with whatever is right in front of you and look for opportunities where the door is open. This is infinitely more productive and saves you much time and energy. Life can be easy when we let go of our attachments and expectations. Then when you face a closed door, because you aren’t attached to the outcome, you can simply change course instead of bruising your knuckles from banging on a door that clearly is not meant for you.

Closed doors are gifts telling you where you should not go. They may feel bad when they close on you but if you keep your head in the game, you can look ahead at what fun things await you around the next corner of the maze!

Have an adventurous day,

Coach Julie