Door closed. Door open.

“When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.”

- Alexander Graham Bell

You’re probably familiar with Alexander Graham Bell’s quote — or at least the shortened version that includes only the first line.

I was reminded of it recently during a visit to Dorothea Dix Park here in Raleigh. We were there with our son, Daniel, and a few of his friends before they headed back to college after Christmas.

Their primary reason for the trip was to see the giant wooden trolls created by Danish artist Thomas Dambo — part of a statewide exhibit spread across North Carolina. But tucked away in one open field was something quieter that caught my attention even more.

A series of standalone doors.

They mark where former hospital buildings once stood — simple frames now, set in the open air. No walls. No structure. Just doors. A visual reminder of transitions, memories, and change.

And it got me thinking.

Like me, you’ve probably experienced doors closing in life.
Sometimes they close gently.
Sometimes we close them ourselves.
And sometimes they’re slammed shut without warning.

Often, the hardest part isn’t the closing — it’s remembering to stop staring at the door that just shut long enough to notice the ones opening nearby.

In my own career, I’ve had more doors close than I can count. One in particular stands out.

Early on, I worked my way up from sweeping floors in a print shop to running customer service and order entry for the plant. When I was finally scheduled to take my first two-week vacation, my manager and I began interviewing a temporary replacement to cover for me.

We found someone highly qualified. Very qualified.

So qualified, in fact, that I told my manager bluntly,
“If we hire this person, I’ll be out of a job in a week.”

Shortly before I left for vacation, the plant controller pulled me aside and asked whether I might be interested in stepping into the purchasing agent role when I returned. I told him I’d think about it.

Door closed.
Door opened.

When I came back from vacation, my fear had been realized — my customer service role was gone. But my desk hadn’t been cleared out. It had simply been moved.

That shift led to many more doors opening over the years — some planned, some unexpected — eventually leading me to earn my MBA in corporate finance, my EA license, and ultimately to launch my tax planning career.

Life will always bring changes.
Old methods end.
New technologies emerge.
Doors close.

But new doors open — often quietly — for those willing to stop gazing at the one that just shut and take a step forward instead.

As we stand at the beginning of a new year, here’s a simple question worth sitting with:

What doors are opening for you?