Life has a way of presenting us with challenges that often feel impossible to overcome. There are seasons when the walls appear to close in, when every door seems shut, and when the path forward looks blurred or completely out of sight. In such moments, it is tempting to believe that we are trapped, helpless, or doomed to live with unsolvable problems. Yet history, human resilience, and faith remind us of a powerful truth: there is always a way out. Every problem carries within it, the seed of its own solution. Our task is not to despair, but to seek and find it.
Recently, I visited a friend, and our conversation drifted outdoors as the sun sank beneath the horizon. She has a lush garden that is alive with colour and movement. Tropical flowers swayed gently in the breeze, flying insects buzzed through the air, and ants made trails within the garden. The reptiles that preyed on these insects ruled the ecosystem. According to her, lizards took charge during the day, and wall geckos emerged at night.
As we moved our chairs and drinks outdoors to enjoy the ambience and serenity of her garden, our attention was caught by two playful lizards, one chasing the other. In a twist of fate, the smaller lizard darted too quickly and scrambled into the house.
At once, the chase shifted indoors. My friend and I tried to usher the little creature back outside, while leaving the door wide open. But the lizard got agitated. It scurried across the floor, desperate for an escape, yet blind to the very exit in front of it. Several times, it rushed towards the open door, only to turn back again in panic. We found ourselves exclaiming, “Can’t it see the way out?” But it couldn’t.
Overwhelmed by confusion, the lizard got so physically agitated it couldn’t recognize the solution right before its eyes. This lizard was in search of freedom. It wanted to get back into the garden; its familiar territory. It wanted its life back. The same door through which it entered the house was wide open for it to exit. It just couldn’t calm down enough to find it.
Humans often behave in the same way. We stumble into difficulties; sometimes by accident, other times by poor decisions. And even when a solution lies right within our reach, we are too distraught, too fearful, or too confused to see it.
The Open Door
The open door signifies opportunities: the chance to make right what we did wrong, the solutions to the problems we encounter, and a way out of situations that hold us bound.
No matter how complex or overwhelming a challenge seems, a solution exists through the open door. The fact is, if we walked in through a door, then there is definitely a door to exit from. If there’s a way in, there’s surely a way out.
So, let me ask: where have you lost your way? Where have you made the wrong turn and entered the wrong space? Where are you stuck, trapped, struggling to find your freedom, and it feels like there is no way out? What brings you fear, anxiety or confusion?
The answers to these questions are exhaustive as we all face different challenges at our various stations in life. Finding solutions unites us all.
Calm, Clarity and Perspective
To find that open door, we must calm down. Mistakes are an inevitable part of life. Whenever we make an error, we must slowdown in anticipation of stopping, making a detour or a full turnaround. The root cause of that lizard’s error was speed. Speed led it into a wrong space, and while indoors, it didn’t slow down. Instead, it scampered at a faster speed, missing several opportunities to exit the house.
Secondly, we must find clarity. Rather than run around in circles, wearying ourselves out, and worsening a bad situation, we should pause to observe, reflect, and look for the open door. Read https://fullnineyards.com/when-life-demands-a-change-move-without-losing-yourself/ for ways to find clarity and focus as you move through life.
Finally, we must broaden our perspective. We saw the door but the lizard didn’t. And while we tried to help, it was too agitated to be guided. When we slow down and view the situation from a broader perspective, the exit door becomes visible. A broad perspective can transform challenges into puzzles we can solve rather than prisons that keep us bound. Panic clouds our perception and fears shrink our perspective.
So, if you’re looking for solutions to life’s challenges, here are some practical tips to help you find that open door:
- Identify the problem: The lizard didn’t belong indoors, it got in there by error and wanted to get back in the open space. If you don’t perceive something as a problem, then you won’t be looking for a solution. Identify your challenges.
- Slowdown and Breathe: There is an adage that says “Haste makes waste.” Meaning we make more mistakes when we’re in a hurry. We should make less when we slow down. A calm mind sees more clearly than a frantic one, so breathe. Before rushing into action, create stillness.
- Sharpen your perception: There is a way out. Look for it. Research, ask people, find out how others have done it, seek solutions and you will find them. Where there is a will, there is a way.
- Broaden your perspective: Sometimes the exit is not in front of you but to your left or right. Try approaching the problem from a different perspective. Be flexible and open to different options. Just as my friend and I saw what the lizard couldn’t, other people often see what you cannot. Analyse other people’s opinions.
- Seek counsel: Some people have walked the path before you. Don’t be afraid to ask for guidance.
- And Trust the Process: Solutions do not always appear instantly. Sometimes patience itself is the key to breakthrough.
Personal reflection
The little lizard in my friend’s home became a metaphor for life. Like it, we often find ourselves in unfamiliar territory, surrounded by fear and confusion, unable to see the exit that lies wide open before us. But the truth remains: there is always a way out. Life’s problems are not permanent prisons but temporary puzzles waiting to be solved. Our responsibility is to pause, sharpen our perception, and broaden our perspective until we see the open door. It’s always there, right ahead of us, and wide open. We just need to find it.
So, the next time you find yourself in a situation that feels overwhelming, remember the frantic lizard and the open door. Don’t let panic blind you. There is always a way out. Believe that an open door always exists. And be inspired to find it, even in life’s toughest situations.