Promising value in excess of the price, my little girl imagination saw each wrapped box as a treasure waiting to be excavated. I picked up one, then another and another, pondering which grab bag was the one for me. With my mom's warning of potential disappointment unheeded, I seized the largest from the basket and pulled allowance savings from my pocket to pay for my prize.
Not ready to break the spell of anticipation, I rested the box on my lap for several miles. Finally curiosity prevailed and I ripped it open. But my mom had been right.
The next day, I spied another grab bag opportunity labeled "For Girls" and tried again. This time, I was rewarded with a precious palm-sized doll. While the contents weren't always as magical as finding the doll, the process of selection and discovery beckoned at every vacation stop that summer. Each box held for me a new possibility.
Now, as a seasoned adult, it's interesting how life's doors seem like my childhood grab bag experience. So many possibilities, so many choices; some rewarding, some disappointing. But always that hint of promise, mystery, and possibility. Which door to open? Path to follow? Or dream to seek?
In multiple decades, and with multiple decisions, what I've learned is this: door choice is not a science. Mistakes are common and most decisions are reversible.
My husband made law review at a top law school, then dropped out in his second year, realizing he never wanted to be an attorney in the first place. I was fired from my first professional job, which opened up an unexpected opportunity. Neither of our first doors were the right ones, but we both went on to successful careers, with plenty of twists and turns along the way.
Setbacks, disappointments, rejections and unsuccessful attempts are steps typical for most people. Albert Einstein's Ph.D. dissertation was rejected; Henry Ford had two bankruptcies before his famous success; Rodin couldn't get into art school on three occasions, yet became a great sculptor; and Abraham Lincoln lost seven elections before winning the Presidency.
Still, when we view others' success, we often miss their failed choices, struggles, frustrations, and disappointments. We miss noticing the wrong or closed doors that came before the accolades.
In the scheme of things, I've found that opening life's doors is a lifetime discovery of becoming who you are capable of becoming. Unknown, difficult, exhilarating and failed doors are part of life. When you approach each door-opening with that perspective, the experience alone enhances your life, builds your wisdom, and develops new dreams, opportunities, and possibilities for you.
Recently, I framed a greeting card for my office wall as a reminder to keep opening life's doors. It shows a picture with five women, varying in age from thirty to eight, arm-in-arm, dancing. Isn't that what life beckons us to do? To keep dancing, no matter the setbacks, heartaches, and disappointments? To keep exploring paths, opportunities, and dreams? I think so. It seems to me each new day is an unwrapped gift brimming with possibility.
(c) 2011 Nan S. Russell. All Rights Reserved.
Nan S. Russell is the award-winning author of "Hitting Your Stride: Your Work, Your Way." More about Nan and her work can be found at www.nanrussell.com. Author of "Hitting Your Stride: Your Work, Your Way" (Capital Books; January 2008) Sign up to receive Nan's free monthly eColumn at: www.intheschemeofthings.com
