Another Door Opens…
June 19th, 2009
When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.
~ Alexander Graham Bell
When Thomas Edison was creating the light bulb he actually found over 1800 ways to not build one. Perhaps the question is, are we seeking out opportunities from our mistakes or from things that go awry?
At one of the times in my life when I was feeling defeated washed up and as if I was the only idiot that had ever suffered a set back or in fact failed in life….my very encouraging and very successful brother came to my rescue. He was kind enough to listen to my woes…but only for a short time. He quickly shared with me that he often failed at things and felt demotivated, destroyed and hopeless… but only until he changed his attitude.
He now considers failures as nothing but learning experiences. He learns from them and quickly moves on. “I just fail my way to success” he says. I figured that if this attitude can help you build a successful Earth Moving company that employs 200 people then it is something I could learn from.
Perhaps you will be able to offer incredibly valuable encouragement to someone you know by sharing this story and photo of the new door opening and letting light in to the darkness. With 67 years of life experience I have seen new doors open and new light come into life enough times to know, it will happen for your friend if they can see that there are no failures…only learning experiences.
Posted in Finding Opportunity
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Knowing the John Shadforth I know, it’s hard to imagine he could EVER be discouraged. But when someone as successful as he is can share feelings of doubt and fear, so much from the heart, the message becomes all the more powerful, and simply has to help others in seeing the light. Thanks for investing the time to share your story.
It’s the timing of stories that decide our receptiveness to their message. This story, “Another Door Opens”, will not take root in a person who has never felt defeated by an event (from something external like failing an academic or practical examination to something so much deeper and more damaging, such as self-loathing for failing to be all we want to be for someone or something we love).
It is a beautiful story. I love the light behind the slightly ajar door in the illustration, for the room in which we are standing is so very dark. That darkness is the focus on self and failure.
The light shifts the focus to the purpose of the examination and the value of the life of the one or thing we love. No matter to what extent we have failed, we can begin to prepare again to reach our potential (maybe via more study or some path that does not involve academic or practical exams) or to love the one or thing we believe we failed. If that one or thing has died, we can still love. In death there is always new life. The dying below the soil surface allows a transformation: new shoots of an even greater and more enduring love – IF we look to the light and warmth above us and so push through the dark, cold soil. The pain of death can actually prove a fertile place in which love matures. And the plant and flower that blooms through the experience can benefit not only the one / thing who / that died, but the whole world.
So this story says: rejoice in your failures – not for themselves, but for the potential life and love they can bring to all mankind.
Every day in a different way a door is opened for us to extend ourselves, rather than stay in the dark. When the opportunity comes, how often do we say to ourselves, “we’re not ready” or talk ourselves out of not acting. Life is not about ourselves – it’s about community, relationship and letting go. When the door opens and we are given the glimpse of light, go to it. If someone offers to help you, accept gratefully and move on. We can’t build the world by ourselves, but by gathering mighty companions on the way, as we step through the door of fear into the light.
Every day in a different way a door is opened for us to extend ourselves, rather than stay in the dark. When the opportunity comes, how often do we say to ourselves, “we’re not ready” or talk ourselves out of not acting. Life is not about ourselves – it’s about community, relationship and letting go. When the door opens and we are given the glimpse of light, go to it. If someone offers to help you, accept gratefully and move on. We can’t build the world by ourselves, but by gathering mighty companions on the way, as we step through the door of fear into the light.
When I was 18 the then “love of my life” left me for another. I was devastated. My whole world truned upsided down. I actually wanted to die I was so depressed. The closing of that door, I learned years later, provide me with one of the best opportunities of my life. . . it literally changed the course of my life, pointing me in the direction of my destiny. Thank you for your post it remeinded me how surpassing fate to meet destiny usually does require the closing of some doors before others can be fully opened.