We often forget that when one door closes another door opens. We forget this because we dwell on the fact that this door is closed and we aren't strong enough to move past it and open the other door. The other door is just as good as this closed door but we want the closed door to open because it is better in our minds. Our mind plays tricks on us and we are so naive that we convince ourselves into thinking a closed door is the end.
So I ask why do we punish ourselves with this flawed thinking? It only makes us weaker in the long run. This thinking lowers our self-esteem, kills our confidence, and creates monsters of failure that only we can see. I began to listen to the negative voices in my head and my journey for happiness becomes dim and cumbersome. This thinking reminds me of the last lines from The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference". When that door closes, I think of Frost's words and suddenly realize that opening this new door will be life changing. It doesn't matter how difficult the journey will be, I know that channeling all my strength and desire into opening this new door will be beneficial to my happiness.
Frost's words give me the strength and courage to open any door, to conquer all milestones, and to complete any journey. It all makes sense in justifying that everything happens for a reason. The closed door was important to me because I knew that I could face what was behind it. I was confident that I could take on the challenge of being an amateur writer, a mediocre singer, and a terrible public speaker. I was comfortable with opening this door because I knew that if given the chance I can get by with just being basic. I knew that the other door required more from me. The other door had different expectations and I knew that I was not ready to face these challenges. I didn't want to work at trying to be the greatest. I was quite content with just being plain old me.
I suddenly realized that this was how we inevitably ruin ourselves on a daily basis. The lack of confidence plays a major role in the kind of person you eventually become. I vowed that I will try and excel at everything I do. I promised myself that I will not give up and I will remain resilient for the difficult journey ahead. I will take the wheel and navigate the difficult roads ahead of me.
So when I was sitting in my COM 100 class and trying to annotate A Rose For Emily by William Faulkner, I knew that if I wanted to become a better writer, I had to re-read the short story, take notes, and prepare myself for discussions in the next class. Deciding to work hard, even just for a little while, made me realize that I was on my way to opening that door I avoided for so long. I suddenly became interested in bettering myself, developing ideas, and being a part of the creative writing community. Nonetheless, I took the high road, the road that is less traveled by, and like Frost said, it "has made all the difference".
