Thursday, June 14, 2018

Leave the Door Open

Have you ever said no to something without even thinking it through? Maybe you didn't feel there was a need to, however, there are times when we should take pause before we close the door. Oftentimes, we hesitate to see the big picture. We feel like whatever we know at the moment is enough, and again, that may be true. But, what if we left the door open a little bit, could that possibly be the very door of opportunity that we wanted to open? It's definitely food for thought:

1. Before you close the door, think about what is really going to happen. Is that the end result you really want, or is your "no" in defiance or some other reason? Are others involved? Will your "no" eventually cause problems? Is your "no" going to continue an argument or chaos? If so, you may want to leave the door open for better and more positive communication, the kind that will bring about a positive and successful path on which to proceed.

2. Is the reason you said no because of fear? Our fears will cause us to shut down opportunities because we think we may fail hard in the sight of others. We think we won't succeed, so we act as if whatever it is lacks in importance. Don't say no to an opportunity. Say no to your fear.

3. It's sad, but true, that some of the people closest to us don't want to see us grow and succeed. We buy in to the negativity and lack of support, so we fantasize about our goals and dreams, but because of the "approval" we think we need, we say no to our futures. We allow ourselves to be dictated by what others believe we can and should do, and we end up doing nothing. It's a huge sacrifice to make, so in our own best interest we must muster the conviction to say "yes" to ourselves, and "no" to the others.

Leave the door open, even if you don't discuss it openly with anyone else. Pick it apart. Process it. If it looks like it can work, go for it. If not, let your no be your no, and no one else's. Take charge of the doors that open and close. If it means a successful move is in front of you, leave the door open. Peek in and see what you think. ~ S.R.F.