Opportunities. Possibilities. Openness.

These are traits I admire in people who are facing difficult situations. Why? Because these traits represent some of the qualities that let them open doors to successful change.

When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one that has opened for us. – Alexander Graham Bell

If you are facing a tough decision or have been given some bad news and find yourself stuck and not moving forward, think about the door analogy.

When a door is closed prematurely or is slammed in your face, it is easy to fall into the trap of wanting what you don’t have – even if what you had was not good to begin with!

Just because a door has shut, another one may open. Maybe not immediately, but when you explore other possibilities, it is bound to happen. If you find yourself fixated on the closed door, find a way to break the cycle, otherwise you might overlook another door.

Check to see if in fact the door is locked. A locked door takes lots of work to open. Do you really want to spend that kind of energy to reopen it? Sometimes you have to. Sometimes there’s another way to get to what’s behind that door (maybe a back door?).

Let’s say the door opens. What do you do with that open door? Do you go through it or does fear set in?

Perhaps you don’t want to look behind the door. You may think or imagine that the alternative is worse than what you have today or that you are committing yourself to another course of action and you can’t change your mind.

Get both of those ideas out of your head!

Doors represent opportunities. When you peek behind the door, you can decide whether you want to walk through it. If you decide to walk through the door, it may require a commitment but…peeking is free!

You may decide it is not for you and close it or you may leave it ajar. Leaving the door ajar lets you revisit “it” later. “It” could be your relationship, a new job, relocation, a business idea or other personal decision.

As you close a door, decide if you want to lock it. Locking it will make it more difficult for you or the other person to reconnect.

When you think of doors (ajar or unlocked) as opportunities to explore possibilities, you will be in a better position to find success.