Personal narrative by Sabriya Dobbins, Founder of Project Passport

We have a world that focuses on the open door concept but what about the ones we close on ourselves or the ones that close on us? There is meaning in closed doors too! It is not always about looking for the open door, it is about appreciating the closed one too. Closed doors are what you need in order to grow and find success in a way that you could not before with the open door. Sometimes the open door could bring a cold draft that freezes you from living a life that you need to live. I want to share a few examples on how closed doors helped create the life that I live today:

1. I was in the process of joining an agriculture-based PhD program. While working with a professor who was supposed to help me secure a grant to attend the program, she stopped helping me abruptly. Never returned a call or text. I was in shock and no she did not die! Thank God I did not proceed towards the program as Project Passport would not be born. It was a NEEDED and forced closed door.

2. I closed the door of my MBA program by dropping out. I realized that I hated the program and that I was only completing it to look good and to have a masters in something. Every day of virtual class was grueling, and I hated the homework so much. Now I am completing a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and I LOVE the program. It does not feel like work at all. It feels like an addition to my greater life purpose.

3. I cut off some friendships by burning the bridge and closing the door. I live in peace now not living in the hurricane of those friendships and the drama they brought in my life. Now I do not spend so much time dealing with things that are not positive to my life and bring me down. Bad friends can be a time suck and we do not even realize it until it is over.

4. Business relationship doors were closed. There have been times that Project Passport ended business partnerships and there are times others ended them for us. It was the best thing because the company has been able to refocus in a direction that better serves our clients. We are in a better place than ever this 2020!

There are so many times that closed doors changed my life for the better. All in all, honey do not let that closed door break you because it keeps you from moving in a direction that may not have been the best for you!

When have you benefited from closed doors in your life? Share your stories!

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Project Passport is a proactive mental wellness company that aims to bring mental wellness retreats, workshops and other services to company teams. We also help women create joy in their lives every step of the way. To learn more about our company retreats and services, click here. To learn more about our tribe community for women, click here. Our travel retreats will resume in the future as the world reopens.