Accepting Closed Doors

There are a few common sayings that use doors as a metaphor; “When one door closes another will open,” or “Only the door which is meant for you will open.” The challenge is how do we know that the door which is being closed, is the door we are supposed to allow to close? How do we not know if it’s a test; maybe we are supposed to try something else to open that door; we shouldn’t give up right away, right or do you? Knowing when to allow a door to close and when to continue to pursue trying to open a door is tricky. Obviously, I’m speaking about decisions we have to make in our lives. Usually it involves some major decision or change in the path we are travelling. It could be deciding to change a job, pursue studies, staying in a relationship, whatever it is - how do you know what you are doing is right and that the door closed is not for you. Unfortunately, there is no easy answer.

For me, there are many doors that I hope will open, I try to open, doors I wish would stay closed and never open!! But like you, I don’t always know when to close a door or accept a door that needs to be closed, or if I should even walk through that open door. The whole process is can be daunting and emotionally rocky. Being a woman of faith, of course I pray about my decisions, but being a sometimes-impatient human being, I question what may or may not be happening with that door. I mean how do I know that I’m supposed to let go. How do I not know that my pursuit isn’t my selfish want rather than what is supposed to happen? Unfortunately, confirmation doesn’t always come in an email (LOL) which would be nice and clear. So, what do you do, what do I do? Well I trust, I practice Being Still, trying to block out the noise of the world and my life and wait to hear/feel what I should be doing. It’s not easy, trust me, there is still a lot of self-questioning which occurs. But it is in that moment of being still, meditating, stepping back so I can see the whole picture, that the answer to that closed door comes.

Sometimes that closed door can also be a moment of awareness and pain. It may have been a path you wanted, you wished for, a path you believe you deserved but when all your efforts continue to result in delays, excuses, and the door remaining shut – then you need to consider what you are being shown. This past week, I had to accept that a particular door which I have been trying to get through for years was never going to open for me, at least not in the present conditions. It also meant that I had to accept that my journey would not be the traditional straight forward way, but instead a path a little different from the traditional, but it knowing would still lead to the door I needed to open. Learning to accept doors being closed and trusting those that open are a part of my life journey. What makes me OK with walking through that open door, is my faith and trust in the plan being placed in front of me. No, it isn’t easy, yes it can hurt emotionally and mentally, but I also feel a breath of relief, a lightness in the load I bear when I allow those doors to be closed and trust that the right door will open for me.

So, I encourage you, if you are facing doors being closed, don’t give up, trust in your dream, have faith in the plan, take a deep breath in, exhale and allow your dream to lead you to the right door. My Tips: Practice meditation, pray, Be Still so you can hear what you are being told, which can only happen when you let go and just be present in the moment and allow yourself to see and feel the whole picture. When I finally accepted that door was to remain closed, I knew in my heart that it was the right decision and felt at peace. I hope that you may be able to come to accept those closed doors in your life too and embrace the journey to finding those opened doors for you. It’s all about putting the pieces of the puzzle of Life together; understanding when a piece doesn’t fit and trusting yourself