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    Doors Closed Doors Open

    Uploaded by

    Elle
    This document discusses how life involves constant change as doors close and open. It provides a mindfulness exercise to help clients recognize that while doors close, new opportunities also arise. The exercise prompts clients to think of a time a door closed, such as a rejection, missed opportunity, or failed plan, and then identify what new doors opened as a result. It aims to shift clients' perspective from focusing on losses to seeing future potential. The goal is for clients to gain insight into what prevents an optimistic outlook when doors close and how to develop a more positive perspective during future setbacks.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Doors Closed Doors Open

    Uploaded by

    Elle
    590 views3 pages
    This document discusses how life involves constant change as doors close and open. It provides a mindfulness exercise to help clients recognize that while doors close, new opportunities also arise. The exercise prompts clients to think of a time a door closed, such as a rejection, missed opportunity, or failed plan, and then identify what new doors opened as a result. It aims to shift clients' perspective from focusing on losses to seeing future potential. The goal is for clients to gain insight into what prevents an optimistic outlook when doors close and how to develop a more positive perspective during future setbacks.

    Original Title

    Doors-Closed-Doors-Open

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    © © All Rights Reserved

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    This document discusses how life involves constant change as doors close and open. It provides a mindfulness exercise to help clients recognize that while doors close, new opportunities also arise. The exercise prompts clients to think of a time a door closed, such as a rejection, missed opportunity, or failed plan, and then identify what new doors opened as a result. It aims to shift clients' perspective from focusing on losses to seeing future potential. The goal is for clients to gain insight into what prevents an optimistic outlook when doors close and how to develop a more positive perspective during future setbacks.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    590 views3 pages

    Doors Closed Doors Open

    Uploaded by

    Elle
    This document discusses how life involves constant change as doors close and open. It provides a mindfulness exercise to help clients recognize that while doors close, new opportunities also arise. The exercise prompts clients to think of a time a door closed, such as a rejection, missed opportunity, or failed plan, and then identify what new doors opened as a result. It aims to shift clients' perspective from focusing on losses to seeing future potential. The goal is for clients to gain insight into what prevents an optimistic outlook when doors close and how to develop a more positive perspective during future setbacks.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 3
    At a glance
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    The passage discusses that while doors may close in life, new opportunities often open as well. It's important to maintain an optimistic mindset and see beyond what is lost to what could be gained.

    The author suggests that when a door closes, it's important to shift one's perspective from dwelling on what is lost to being open to new possibilities. Maintaining a favorable view of the future even during difficult changes can help new doors open.

    The author lists several questions for reflection after a door closes, such as what prevented seeing new opportunities, what strengths were used, what was learned, and how character could be strengthened for the future.

    PositivePsychology.

    com | Positive Psychology Toolkit

    Doors Closed Doors Open

    Mindset “The only thing that is constant is change” is a famous quote by the ancient Greek
    philosopher Heraclitus. Indeed, life is continually changing and evolving. This means that
    Exercise
    from time to time, things just stop existing. Losing a job, ending a marriage, or moving to
    10-12 min another place are examples of changes that many people have experienced. We lose out
    on something important, a big plan collapses, or we are rejected by someone. Another
    Client
    way of expressing this feeling of loss is that a door is being closed. However, the end of
    No
    one thing is always the beginning of something new. We have the option to stay focused
    on what is not here anymore (the doors that have been closed) or become aware of the
    new avenues that unfold. Optimism is about the latter option. It is about also seeing the
    doors that are being opened. It is about holding a favorable view about the future while
    considering closing doors and turning them into something beneficial.

    Goal

    The goal of this exercise is twofold. First, the exercise can make clients aware that the end
    of something is also the beginning of something new. The end of something positive is not
    only negative but can also create room for something positive again. The exercise can help
    clients become aware that this requires a shift in perspective from focusing on things that
    are not there anymore to seeing the potential of the future. Second, the exercise can help
    clients become aware of what currently prevents them from adopting a more optimistic
    outlook when doors close. This insight can be used to develop a more positive outlook for
    future “closing door events.”

    Advice

    ■ Talking about important things that no longer exist can be an emotional exercise for
    clients. Make sure to acknowledge the pain and the difficulty that they experience(d)
    because of the loss. If a practitioner moves on too fast to the positive side of a closing
    door, the client may feel misunderstood. Explain that the goal of the exercise is not to
    downplay the negative event but to create awareness of the positive potential that
    arises as a result of the closed door.

    References

    ■ Seligman, M. E. P. (2006). Learned optimism: How to change your mind and your life.
    Vintage Books.

    [1]
    PositivePsychology.com | Positive Psychology Toolkit

    Doors Closed Doors Open

    Instructions

    Think about a time in your life when someone rejected you, when you missed out on something important,
    or when a big plan collapsed. These would be points in your life when a door closed. Now think about
    what happened after: What doors opened after? What would have never happened if the first door didn’t
    close? Write down these experiences in the spaces below (write as many experiences as possible that come
    to mind).

    The door that closed on me was:

    The new door that opened for me was:

    [2]
    PositivePsychology.com | Positive Psychology Toolkit

    Now, reflect upon your experiences and respond to the following questions:

    ■ What led to the door closing? What helped you open the new door?
    ■ How long did it take you to realize that a new door was open?
    ■ Was it easy or hard for you to realize that a new door was open?
    ■ What prevented you from seeing the new open door?
    ■ What can you do next time to recognize the new opportunity sooner?
    ■ What were the effects of the door closing on you? Did it last long?
    ■ Did the experience bring anything positive?
    ■ Which character strengths did you use in this exercise?
    ■ What does a closed-door represent to you now?
    ■ What did you learn from the door closing?
    ■ Is there more room for growth from these types of experiences?
    ■ Is there a closed door that you still wish to see open?

    Now think of all the people who have helped you open doors in the past. What did they do to help you?
    What could you do to help others?

    [3]

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