I pulled up onto my driveway, clicked the app on my phone to open the garage door, and nothing happened. I clicked it again and again, and still, nothing. Reluctantly, I got out of my car and went to the keypad by the door, entered my secret code, and the door slowly opened in front of me.
The other door in the garage that led into my house was locked. As the garage door gently shut behind me, I started fumbling for my key. I pushed it into the lock, turned the knob, and soon, I was safe inside my home.
While I was momentarily stranded in the garage, I was reminded of the adage, “When one door closes, another one opens.” And I realize that that is incorrect. The adage should be, “When one door closes, you often have an opportunity to open another door.”
January was named after the Roman God, Janus. He is the God of doors, gates, and entryways. Statues of Janus depict him with two faces looking backwards and forward. He reminds us to learn from the past that we can never return to and prepare for a future that we can only predict for.
We open and close many doors throughout our lives. So many, that we take them for granted. But each turn of a key, each twist of a knob, and each push of a button is a decision to enter a new room, a different place, a fresh opportunity for change in our lives.
Opening a refrigerator door prompts us to decide if we’ll eat healthier today or treat ourselves to something more decadent. Opening the doors to our pantry and kitchen cabinets often reveals a bounty that we may share with others or keep to ourselves.
The many doors and gates in our homes and houses protect us from the undesirables and filter in friends and family. Grand entryways serve as opportune openings into exciting events and experiences.
The slamming of a door and the slow scary creaking of another carry with them distinctive levels of fear. Kicked open and quick swinging doors scream with excitement. And the door to a loved one’s pendant worn close to the heart can fill us with warmth.
Some doors open automatically for us, some are locked up tight, and still the openings and opportunities of others are hinged upon us holding the right key or knowing the right combination.
January represents a doorway from 2023 to 2024. And just like the many doors we face each day, 2023 may have been easy for some of us and tougher to get through for others.
Be grateful for the people and things in your life that you protect behind your locked doors. Learn lessons from the escapades and adventures you’ve experienced as you exit one place and enter another. Prepare yourself, as best you can, for what’s beyond the passageways in front of you when opportunity knocks.
And on your many travels, try to hold a few doors open for those that may need your help.
When one door closes...
As seen in Stroll, Hawthorn Woods CC Magazine. Follow “Bacon Bits with Master Happiness” on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, Amazon Music, Audible, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.
Marty Jalove of Master Happiness is a Corporate Coach, Business Consultant, and Marketing Strategist that helps small businesses, teams, and individuals find focus, feel fulfilled, and have fun. Master Happiness stresses the importance of realistic goal setting, empowerment, and accountability in order to encourage employee and customer engagement and retention.
The secret is simple: Happy Employees attract Happy Customers and Happy Customers come back with Friends.
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