Embracing the Opened Door

“𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙃𝙚 𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙨, 𝙣𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙪𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙃𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙪𝙩𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙣.  𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙨. 𝙎𝙚𝙚, 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙣 𝙙𝙤𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙣𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙪𝙩.” 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 3: 7-8

As we begin the new year, I’ve been thinking a lot about the imagery that we often associate with doors. There’s that joy and elation when we visit family and friends as they open the door to welcome us. A door can be an image of safety for us when we close or lock the door. Sometimes the door can be a sign of rejection, especially when someone slams the door in anger or disappointment. There’s also that sense of mystery whenever we see a closed door at home or especially in the office and are left to wonder what might be going on behind those closed doors.

To me, an opened door signifies action that has already been taken. It’s a picture of boundless opportunities, of unlimited and unimagined chances to do something worthwhile and good to other people in our lives, of grand openings into new and unknown adventures. Opened door are glorious, mysterious for sure, but I think most of us deep down live and hope for that opened door.

Lately though, many employees are sensing that a lot of doors are beginning to close as more and more companies  announce job cuts or a hiring freeze, particularly in the tech sector.  While the labor market has remained surprisingly resilient in the face of aggressive Fed rate hikes to combat persistent inflation these past nine months, we all know that historically the real economy responds to Fed policy with long and variable lags leading many economists and strategists to forecast a recession early in 2023.  As a consequence,  the likelihood is growing that more doors will continue to close in the months ahead requiring job seekers to be even more focused and determined in their efforts to land a new position.  In spiritual terms, there’s  a quote from Matthew 7:7-7:8 that really captures and personifies that call to action we must embrace — “Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you.  For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened”. There’s also some very compelling calls to action we can draw from in everyday life, especially in the music we listen to, the books we read, and in the movies we love. A few years back I was captivated by this following scene from the movie “People Like Us” and the Six Rules, especially Rule #2:

But there’s also both an opportunity and an obligation for those of us who are likely to remain gainfully employed in this challenging period to be that person who can open a door for a family member, a fellow colleague who may have been let go,  or a friend in your community who is in need. Opening a door for someone is not about a guarantee but an opportunity and catalyst for their rebirth and to find mission and purpose.  Former President Ronald Reagan once said “We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone”. In that same spirit, all of us can can open a door for someone we know who is in need.

A Call to Action on Opening Doors

So what about you and your experience with open doors?  Can you reflect a few minutes on the following questions.

• Who has opened a door for you during your life? Do they know how grateful you are to them for opening that door?
• Is there someone in your personal life right now, at work, or in your community who you could open a door for?
• If you hold a position that requires layoffs or a reduction in force (RIF), can you be as generous as possible with severance and outplacement support to help affected employees transition to that next step in their career and not br further stigmatized by the loud sound of that door having been closed?
• Spiritually, might there be a door that you discern God is asking you to open? Maybe it’s a new job, a new career, a new hobby, a new activity outside of work?
• Might there be a door you could open to forgive someone who has hurt you?  Might you ask for forgiveness for someone in your life that you have hurt?  Maybe they would be willing to open that door of healing.

Who knows what new doors may be opened for you as we head into 2023? Let’s continue to honor the “already, not yet” in each of our lives — i.e., that sacred space between that which has already happened and that which is still yet to come and that new door the Lord may open for you. Always remember that any opened door starts where you are, not where you want to be or where you think other people think you should be. Who you become going through that opened door matters so much more than whatever door you do go through because all of us will learn new things about ourselves and each other with every new opened door.  Going through an opened door does not mean that God will make my life any easier on the other side of that door because he never gives us an easy job. But He promises to be with us through whatever may lie ahead on the other side of that opened door. So as you ask God to open new doors for you and others, open your hands, open your heart, and open your ears to other people who like you are also looking for that opened door.  

Wishing my clients, fellow coaches, colleagues, and friends my best wishes for you and your families as you embrace the new, opened doors in your life.  In the timeless words of the great Dr. Seuss from the book “Oh the Places You’ll Go”, “Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way”!

Warm regards,

Dr. K