The phrase “If a door closes for you that means it’s not your door,” leaves me with mixed feelings. On one end, I totally support going after what is meant for you and to not waste time on people, situations or feelings that are not aligned to you. However, playing devil’s advocate, I feel this mindset can easily lead to some giving up on opportunities that just need to be cultivated. Granted, this is a case by case basis. I think back to many times I’ve been told “no,” or “not now.” Some of those rejections were the answers I needed to take a different path, some were challenges I needed to push through with grit and perseverance. Resilience is a skill that is highly valuable to develop.

I tend to re-evaluate the door and ask,

-Is this door being closed a benefit or protection for now or for always?

-Is this door something I purposefully want and might revisit down the road?

-Is opening this door simply a waste of time or a potential learning lesson?

Don’t worry though, there are many other doors out there if one has closed for you now. Remember, growth is not linear.