All Doors Open -- Remind Yourself Every Time a Door Slams Shut The world won't do much to encourage you when you seek opportunity but there is good reason not to get discouraged.

By Daniel DiPiazza Edited by Dan Bova

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

shutterstock

Whenever you try to make positive changes in your life, you're going to be met with almost endless challenges.

You're going to hear the word "no" 10x more often than the word "yes." At some points, it may feel like the world is slamming the door to opportunity in your face.

"DO NOT ENTER!" says the world!

But there's something you need to remember about doors….

ALL doors open.

The very nature and purpose of a door is to act as a threshold between one room and the next.

Sometimes, we get lucky and find the door we want to open is left unlocked. Sometimes, it's left wide open!

However, this is rare. The Universe has a way of making us work a bit harder for the good stuff.

Most doors have locks that require a very specific key to open them. You'll have to find the key…or make one!

(Other times, you'll have to pick the lock and break in.)

Some doors have smaller frames that you'll have to squeeze through, changing your shape to match the shape of the door.

Many doors also have "screens" in the form of other people or obstacles that you must open first before you can enter through the main door. Don't mistake the screen for the door!

Some doors have bars over them because the owner is afraid of intruders. You'll have to prove your tenacity.

But there is one thing that's certain about every door that's every been made: it opens!

All doors DO open.

Let us be clear here, the purpose of a door is TO OPEN.

(If a door didn't open, it would be a wall. Duh!)

Now, this begs the question: How do you know if there's really a door to be opened? Nobody wants to waste their time running their heads into a brick wall.

The answer is pretty simple: if other people have done what you want to do, there's a door that you can open, too.

The door might be hard to fit through. It might have a military grade security system guarded by snipers and attack dogs.

Hell, maybe the keyhole is so well hidden at first glance that you don't even know where to put the key. But the fact remains — it is a door.

Here's some good news: True walls are becoming rarer and rarer these days because almost everything you want to do has already been done -- either in theory or in practice.

Other people have probably done it — and if it hasn't been done, the technology we're developing is rapidly allowing those last few "what if's" to be solved.

Funny enough, even if society struggles with what it thinks is a wall for years — when that seemingly insurmountable task is finally done once, it's usually done again almost immediately.

(It's as if we say to ourselves, "Well, it's already been done by this guy. I guess I just need to rethink my approach.")

Case in point Roger Bannister — who was the first man to run a mile in under 4 minutes.

Popular myth at the time thought such a feat was "impossible" — an assumption most likely bolstered by the lack of athletic progress at the time, given WWII.

Then, on May 6, 1954, Bannister did it in 3:58.8— with minimal training by modern standards, while also attending med school!

His incredible feat shocked the world and made headlines everywhere…until his record was broken only 46 days later!!

The door had been opened. Now anybody with the right key, combination or approach was free to enter.

(These days, even elite teenagers have been known to open that door.)

So why not you?

There's a door that stands firmly between where you are and where you want to be.

If other people have gone through the door, there's nothing stopping you from doing the same.

Daniel DiPiazza is the founder of Alpha Mentorship and the director of the Profit Paradigm accelerator for agency owners.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Productivity

6 Habits That Help Successful People Maximize Their Time

There aren't enough hours in the day, but these tips will make them feel slightly more productive.

Growing a Business

Want to Maximize Employee Retention? Here Are 20 KPIs You Need to Track.

How to track and measure employee engagement to improve staff retention and company performance.

Business News

'Feels Like a Slap in the Face': Some JPMorgan Employees Reportedly Aren't Happy With Their Bonuses

JPMorgan reported a record-high net income for 2024 of $58.5 billion.

Business News

Spirit Airlines Issues New Dress Code After Last Year's Viral Crop Top Incident

"Lewd, obscene, or offensive in nature" body art has also been added to the list.

Starting a Business

He Immigrated to the U.S. and Started a Business. It's 'Not the Sexiest' But Sells Over 6,000 Units Daily — Up to $25,000 Apiece — Anyway.

When 16-year-old Amir Loloi emigrated from Iran, he didn't intend to stay in the U.S. forever. Then those plans changed.

Leadership

Doing Well by Doing Good — How Purpose-Driven Entrepreneurs Are Changing the World

Exploring the transformative impact of mission-driven business leadership.