I’ve always thought it was very appropriate to think of life as a journey. Mine certainly has felt like one, complete with unexpected twists and turns on the way. As I ventured along the path, there were many times that I found myself facing a door. Some doors were expected, being traditional milestones in life while others were big surprises. Either way, exactly what lies on the other side is often not quite what we anticipated.
When I opened the door to my university experience, I ended up 1000 miles away from home in the deep south, studying political science and Russian – none of which I would have ever dreamt of happening and yet, an amazing experience all the same. When I opened the door to motherhood, I found myself a single mom, raising my daughter on my own. I never anticipated her life beginning this way but she is now a happily married 26 year old teacher loving life in the UK and I couldn’t be prouder of her. As I worked at my cherished profession as a teacher myself, I suddenly found myself one day facing an unexpected door, placed there by health concerns. Having to close the door on my teaching career so much sooner than I had planned was a shock but opening the door to a different career path allowed me the chance to embark on a new life adventure and discover new joys and talents.
Now as a relatively recent empty-nester, I feel like I am surrounded by doors. In fact, now I feel like I’m able to create some of my own doors where none previously existed. Doors of possibilities for my future as I make my way to retirement are there for the taking – mainly because of all the doors in my past and what I learned from walking through them,
Each time, I have opened a door to find new paths to happiness and fulfillment. Each time I opened a door, I have learned new lessons. Each time I was better prepared for the next door to come along. I equipped myself with health and disability insurance, I planned for my daughter’s future with RESPs and for my own with RRSPs. I am ready for whatever doors await me in my future. Are you?
Share & Win Contest
To join the conversation on #ManulifeReady simply:
- Post a photo on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram of a physical door in your past, present and/or future and tell us why it’s important for you.
- Use the hashtag #ManulifeReady
- Have fun and post as many photos as you want!
By posting a photo of your door on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, tagging it with the hashtag #ManulifeReady and telling us what it symbolizes, you could win $2,500 in our Share & Win contest! We also will share some of our favourite stories on our Facebook and Twitter page so make sure to check back to see if you have been featured.
Twitter Chat
Join us for the #ManulifeReady Twitter chat on March 24th at 9:00 p.m. EST. We will be chatting about getting ready for the future and there will be $3,000 in cash prizes! RSVP below. Twitter party rules here.
What doors are you opening in your life?
Disclosure – I have received compensation from Manulife in exchange for this post. The memories I have shared, the precious tears they brought, and the meaning of doors in my life is all my own.
Leave a Reply