Opportunity Knocks or Does It
EVERY WALL IS A DOOR. I saw this saying in Colorado & it inspired this post.
I also saw the below quote at The Jungle of Life.
We head out into this life we're living, a journey in some direction. For each of us. And along that journey, we encounter crossroads, new paths, paths less traveled, paths traversed quite well. These paths – and there are millions of them out there in this world we call "life" – are all directions we can choose to go in.
"If you are truly committed to something, your ACTIONS follow your words! There is nothing more rewarding than the feeling you get from your ACTIONS! Share your ideas freely because the action you AND only you put behind it, is what determines its success! All of the weight loss and other bloggers who truly make progress on their ideas and their blogs, are the ones that passionately put action behind their ideas! Whether that is losing weight, achieving a goal from a challenge, teaching a course, selling a product, or just helping someone…..it all boils down to believing and the actions that follow!"


I found these pictures here & the writer wrote this: What’s wrong with this picture? This is the front door to a restaurant in Santorini. But where is the restaurant? Because the towns on Santorini are often built on cliffs this door leads to stairs down to the restaurant.This is a surprisingly common sight on the island as the picture will attest to.
So, the last part of the quote above: These paths – and there are millions of them out there in this world we call "life" – are all directions we can choose to go in AND, my first quote, every wall is a door got me thinking about this post.
Then the little "blurb" from the photographer above - and I thought about how many times do we see a "door" that appears to be a wall or a door to nowhere. We CHOOSE to tell ourselves that it goes nowhere for us OR that we CAN'T do it.
So many bloggers out there talking about how we see ourselves, the CHOICES we make based on HOW WE FEEL ABOUT OURSELVES. Yes, how we see & feel about ourselves has a HUGE effect on the actions we take in life. And yes, our past does infringe on those feelings. BUT, I guess, the key is to get past "the past" & move on to the present & the future - to help ourselves see that open door to somewhere or to see that it is NOT a wall but an OPEN DOOR.
Here is a picture from my reunion trip:

This picture got me thinking too.... it almost looked like for me, I was seeing through that wall I put up to an open door of opportunities. You see, we are all different, the 5 of us. My political & religious views are very different from the other 4 friends & yes, I was like that in high school too so they are used to me & who I am. So for us, it was that opportunity to reconnect, be high school friends again, respect one another for the person we are now as well as then. The opportunity knocked for us to be just us - friends regardless of anything else. I actually forgot about all of of my own insecurities about myself & even my crazy fear of failure - or is it fear of success, like some may say....
So, how do I/we take that feeling forward into life. How to capture that & CHOOSE to move forward. Jules, over at Big Girl Bombshell, wrote a great post about this too. She writes:
Heck, that says a lot, doesn't it! Actions can turn that wall to an open door, but we have to commit, commit to getting past all that fear & baggage!
And then Jules followed up with this awesome post, What If becomes If What. A must read! I mean it - click over there! Come back though & comment for me! I want to hear your thoughts!
Do you have walls that get in your way? What have you done to turn them into open doors? Have you seen an open door & turned it into a wall or vice versa. Have you done what Jules said - turn What If into If What? How did you do it? Have advice for others?
Join the discussion & let's help one another! Check out the David Cook song I love below.
PS: You can still enter the giveaway for the $20 Dick's Sporting Goods gift card here. Read more about it here too. This is the last week to get your entries in as it ends May 8th!
I’ve been waiting for my dreams
To turn into something
I could believe in
And looking for that
Magic rainbow
On the horizon
I couldn’t see it
Until I let go
Gave into love and watched all the bitterness burn
Now I’m coming alive
Body and soul
And feelin’ my world start to turn
And I’ll taste every moment
And live it out loud
I know this is the time,
This is the time
To be more than a name
Or a face in the crowd
I know this is the time
This is the time of my life
Time of my life
Holding onto things that vanished
Into the air
Left me in pieces
But now I’m rising from the ashes
Finding my wings
And all that I needed
Was there all along
Within my reach
As close as the beat of my heart
and I’ll taste every moment
And live it out loud
I know this is the time,
This is the time to be
More than a name
Or a face in the crowd
I know this is the time
This is the time of my life
Time of my life
And I’m out on the edge of forever
Ready to run
I’m keeping my feet on the ground
Arms open wide
Face to the sun
I’ll taste every moment
And live it out loud
I know this is the time,
This is the time to be
More than a name
Or a face in the crowd
I know this is the time
This is the time of my life
Time of my life
More than a name
Or a face in the crowd
This is the time
This is the time of my life.
This is the time of my life.








Jody, I love your relentlessly positive attitude and optimism. I try hard to achieve that, but it just flows from you -- seemingly so easily.
The best advice I have ever had with regard to turning walls into doors came from my brother, novelist Mark Cohen, when he told me once a long time ago, "If you leap, the net will appear." That single sentence has done more to enhance my life than any other words I have heard. In fact, everything I enjoy about my life in the past ten years is a direct result of that meme.
Cheers Darlin'!
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Roy, I love that advice your bro gave you!!! Honestly, I am not the most positive person but I keep trying to help myself. I did not have all the positive stuff as a youth so it is hard to fight the past but I try! That is why I write about it.. try to help myself too!
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We are usually our own biggest obstacles to something. Whether it is fear of success or fear of failure.
Finding the courage to take a step is so hard to tell someone else how to do, though. A small step for one person is a huge jump for another (Neil Armstrong, anyone? LOL)
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Lori, yes, we can be our own biggest obstacle! Courage.. yes!
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While reading this I was reminded of how many times in my life I've read an inspirational story of someone beating the odds and thought to myself, well, that person is special, I don't know if I have the same qualities to do what they did. Chances are, those people saw the door as being cracked open and they just needed to walk through.
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Karen, so true! I have thought the same thing as you!
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Neat pictures! That dog looks like my Boomer.
Sharing ideas is what I LOVE about blogging!
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WOW! Thanks Jody! Not one but TWO mentions. I feel honored. How fitting my post today was again about choices and a powerful action I took recently...You have been an extreme inspiration for me on this journey. I too will be fit at 52!!
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Jules, thank you for letting me share your great thoughts!
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What an inspirational post! Thanks for all the encouragement and insight!
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She-Fit.... THX and thx for stopping by!
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This is a wonderful post, Jody!
A friend who used to live in the area had a gate in her yard. No fence, just the gate. Very Zen I thought. The new people who bought the home put up the rest of the fence. I still think about that gate
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Dr. J... now that is cool.. just the gate... those people must have been amazing!
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very cool pix of the door leading to the restaurant, i've never seen anything like that!
this philosophy/attitude is great, i need to remember that walls are just doors. nothing is insurmountable.
and yes, cammy's post were quite thought provoking. damn, she's good!
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lovetoeatinpa... I had never seen anything like that before either! Oh, it was Jules who wrote that stuff but Cammy is great too!
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This post is very deep...it really got me thinking, but I will have to re-read and go visit Jules site...you have never mentioned religion before..also curious about your political views....ummmmm
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Sian.... wish others could get along even with differing religious & political views! Respect one another wthout having to change them!
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I love all those pictures- so neat!
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