Don't cry at a shut door.

I worked at a place that I loved for five years.  This was the place that I got my footing so to speak in my "what I thought would be" career.  I loved my co-workers, the participants, and just overall fell in love with my job.  It had come to the point where I didn't see anything higher than where I was because this one corporation was the only thing in my sight.  Well, to mys surprise, the corporation was closing down due to many problems but I was one of the first to be laid off due to personal conflict.  You can imagine how I felt after five years of pouring my heart into a company that didn't have their heart with me.  When I say pour my heart, I stayed late, came on weekends, worked at home, developed new initiatives, a new program, etc.  I was crushed because this is where I had invested my heart.  I was devastated!

A year later, after much struggle and introspective thinking, a new opportunity in the field that I soar in came whispering at my door.  Before I go on, let me tell you that the year before was very difficult.  A relationship with employment ended, a marriage ended, I lost friendships, and came face to face with the little nasty things about myself that I tried to ignore.  It always easy to hold a mirror to someone else, but when its your own, somehow your arms become a little weak with holding that mirror.  It was painful.  I learned that I changed who I was to conform to the environment around me just to get ahead.  What I thought was being a leader was nothing more than a glorified misled follower.  These are all the things that I learned when the door closed.

Okay, back to the new opportunity.  So I was offered the position of Managing Editor at Hope Today in March which required me to form a new staff, take initiative on things, form a new editorial direction, build PR relationships etc.  You see how the past matures you for where you are going?  All of the things that I was doing before but on a much larger scale.  Also my experience taught me how NOT to do these things.  In July of the same year, I was offered the Editor-in-Chief position.  Then came all of these other wonderful opportunities along with meeting new people and establishing new relationships.  Amazing!!!!! Best part, I learned that who I am was good enough.

When one door closes, you may feel a little twinge of pain for a while, its okay. Endure it for its building character and stamina for where you are going.  Don't be afraid of the reflection in the mirror.  If you cant deal with you, you will not grow.  A closed always leads to another door.  Don't cry, just keep walking and fearless in turning the next knob of greater opportunity.