Don't Miss Sliding Doors of Opportunity

Marianna Jaross

Have you seen the iconic movie Sliding Doors? Gwyneth Paltrow’s character enters two timelines; one where she catches the train, and one where she misses it. We follow her two timelines over the movie.

We also have sliding doors of opportunity.

This isn’t to prompt an existential crisis, but rather for us to plant our feet on the ground of our lives in order to identify and say ‘yes’ to the opportunities presented to us, while still using discernment.

1.) Identify windows from the universe.

If you are presented an opportunity, consider it! If it is beyond your comfort zone, this could be an offer for expansion. You are not meant to feel ready for something that is outside of your comfort zone, but that does not mean it is the ‘wrong’ decision, even if it feels scary.

2.) Catering to your anxiety is not a win.

Sure, you might feel ‘safer’ and more comfortable in your comfort zones in the short-term, but this is usually not a win for your soul and your life in general. We grow, expand, and find our feet by challenging ourselves. If you are anxious, avoidance is not the route; facing challenges and compounding your ability over time is.

3.) If you missed a window: Shoot your shot again.

Sometimes we miss the window on something that was important to us. This said, sometimes opportunities come back around; and our job is to not mess it up the second time. Don’t stay defeated forever; recognise the power in trying again.

4.) How you talk to yourself in these moments matter.

When we feel intimidated by an opportunity we might say: “I feel scared,” “I can’t do it,” or “this is too much for me.” Why are we predicting the outcome before we have the data to know? Additionally, we build our muscle for things that challenge us as we engage with them, not before the fact.

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Overall, we can live a more interesting life by not talking ourselves out of our dreams, the things that scare us; and identifying and saying ‘yes’ to interesting opportunities as they present themselves.

When we do this, we give ourselves permission to enter a new timeline where we challenge ourselves to grow.

© Marianna Jaross 2025

Please note: This article is independent of my professional associations and workplace(s).