For anyone who feels like they’re facing a closed door—whether in a situation where things just aren’t working out, you didn’t get something you wanted, or you feel stuck in a plan that isn’t unfolding as expected—I see you. It’s frustrating when things don’t go as planned, but in today’s post, I hope to remind you why there is much to be gained from those moments.

While it’s hard to see in the thick of things, they often lead us to something better than we could have imagined. Here are a few perspectives that have helped me embrace closed doors in business, relationships, and life, and I hope they encourage you as well.

P.S. Prefer to listen? Check out Episode 157 of the Bright Life Podcast: Redirection is Protection—Finding Hope Behind Close Doors.

Redirection Is Protection

One of the first things I try to remember when a door closes is that redirection is protection. You never know what that closed door is protecting you from—whether it’s a situation that could have been harmful or simply a path that wasn’t right for you. Sometimes, the thing you think you want isn’t what you need, and a closed door is life’s way of redirecting you to something better. As the Dalai Lama says, “Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.”

This has been true in my life. I’m so grateful for past relationships that didn’t work out, even though I was clouded by heartbreak at the time. I’m grateful for business opportunities that just didn’t seem to fit, and despite not seeing why at the time, led me to better ones. And I’m sure you can think of moments in your own life where a closed door ended up being the best thing that could have happened.

You Can Have Your List, or You Can Have Miracles

I recently came across a quote from Krista Williams of the Almost 30 podcast that really resonated with me: “You can have your list, or you can have the miracles and surprises that God has planned for you.”

Whether you believe in God, the universe, or some other higher power, the message remains the same—sometimes the things you think you want are small compared to what life has in store for you.

When a door closes, it’s often because there’s something better on the horizon. If you can release your grip on how you think things should go, you may find yourself in the midst of miracles and surprises far beyond your original plans.

Closed Doors Are Still Valuable

Even when an experience leads to a closed door, it’s often exactly what you needed to gain the skills, knowledge, or clarity to move forward. Think about the experiences that may not have worked out as planned, but still taught you something valuable.

For example, my first business in health coaching wasn’t the one I stuck with forever, but it gave me the skills and confidence to succeed later on in business models that were a better fit for me.

Closed doors teach us what works, what doesn’t, and what we want to carry forward into the future. Take a moment to reflect on the lessons you’ve gained from closed doors in your life—you may find they’ve given you more than you realized at the time.

Learning What You Like (and Don’t Like)

Closed doors also help us refine our preferences and boundaries. Whether it’s in business, relationships, or personal development, those moments of rejection or redirection often give us insight into what we truly want and what we will no longer tolerate.

In dating, you often learn what you want by experiencing what you don’t want. Without an awkward or mismatched relationship, you wouldn’t know what to look for going forward. The same is true for most other areas of our lives. Sometimes, it’s only through heartache or failure that we learn what’s truly important to us, and those lessons can guide us toward something better in the future.

How to Tell If a Door Is Truly Closed

One common question I hear is, “How do I know if a door is really closed, or if I should keep pushing through it?” For me, the answer lies in whether I would continue doing the work even if it never led to success. If you’re working on something that you believe in so deeply that you would keep going even without external validation or success, it’s probably worth continuing.

On the flip side, if you’re ONLY going through the motions for an OUTCOME—money, fame, respect—it might be life’s way of telling you to move in a different direction. Listen to your intuition; if you feel a deep sense of purpose in your work, keep going. If not, the closed door may be a gift in disguise, guiding you to something that is more aligned or can truly fulfill you at a soul level.

The Universe Rearranging to Answer Your Prayers

A final perspective that has helped me is the idea that the universe might just be rearranging things to fulfill the dream you’ve asked for. Just because things aren’t unfolding in the way you expected doesn’t mean your dream isn’t actually on its way. Life has a way of aligning circumstances in ways we can’t always see or understand. When I can’t see why things seem to be unraveling in all kinds of unexpected directions, it gives me peace to remember that the Universe could simply be re-organizing my life to bring me the things I prayed for, in a way that’s best for the higher good.

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Remember, closed doors are not always meant to be dead ends. Often, they are redirections to something better. Whether it’s in business, relationships, or any other area of life, trust that the universe is guiding you toward the path you’re meant to take. You might not see it now, but in time, the purpose behind those closed doors will become clear. Stay open to one day understanding why, and in the meantime, to the miracles that could be waiting for you through another doorway.

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