“Into this house we’re born
Into this world we’re thrown
Like a dog without a bone
An actor out alone
Riders on the storm”
–From Riders On The Storm Lyrics, by the Doors

Opening a door is a great way of describing what it means to create an opportunity in life. In business, they say it is not what you know, but who you know. Well, I say it is a little of both.

One of my favorite bands growing up was the Doors. Now, I was born in 1979, so I was no hippie child crowd surfing at the Whiskey Bar.  However, I became enamored with Jim Morrison after studying him for a biography. I was amazed at the incredibly intelligent individual he was, as I always thought of him as just a wild, drugged-out hippie.

One of the things I learned from Jim (as if we are friends ), is that a crucial key to life is opening doors, hence the name of the band (source)…

“The band took their name from the title of a book by Aldous Huxley, The Doors of Perception (1954). That title was in turn taken from a line in a poem by the 18th-century artist and poet William Blake:

“If the doors of perception were cleansed, every thing would appear to man as it is: infinite”.^[3]

What does this mean? Well, as with all poetry, it is open to personal interpretation. However, what I got out of it is, if we work at it hard enough, we can continually expand our perception till we are eventually all knowing.

Now, I did not take any LSD before writing this post, so when I speak about expanding your perception, please understand I do not mean to go out and do illicit drugs. (Yinvsyang said I should expand my mind officer )  I simply mean that you should open up your mind to all the possibilities right before your eyes.

“I’ll tell you this:
No eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn”
–From The Wasp (Texas Radio And The Big Beat) Lyrics, by the Doors

This is your time to live out your dreams. This is the time to go out and do everything you ever wanted to. Not tomorrow, not next year. Right now.

So why do most people wait to achieve their dreams?

I believe it is fear. It is very scary to risk failure. If you ever have played Texas Hold’em before, and went all in, then you have a small idea of what I mean. It is tough to put everything you have on the line just for the chance of winning it all. However, it is something that we all must do if we want to have a chance to win, even in life.

The best way to do it in real life, is by continuing to open doors for yourself. Doors represent opportunities, or a pathway to something new. Once a door is opened, it is always possible to open again. The best way to open doors is to meet other people, whether you’d like to or not.

“People are strange when you’re a stranger
Faces look ugly when you’re alone
Women seem wicked when you’re unwanted
Streets are uneven when you’re down“
–From People Are Strange Lyrics, by the Doors

For instance, this morning, at about 6 am, I went to teach a boxing class at the local LA Boxing. Usually we have 4 or 5 people, but by start time, no one was there. At 6:05, I thought I had a free day when a car pulled up. I gritted my teeth, mad that one person actually came to the gym and ruined my joy.

However, instead of saying class was canceled, or making an excuse, I greeted him and went to work training him personally. Well, it turns out this guy works for Warner Brother’s pictures. He is nobody incredibly special, but he has worked there for 30 years.  He also has a host of local film connections that he is hooking me up with, and he is a great person to know when I am ready to submit a script.

And I was wishing he did not come.

By taking the time to treat this person right, I opened another door of opportunity for myself. Too many times in life, at least for me, we seal doors shut before they even had a chance to open. We do not wonder what could be behind them, or think of them as an opportunity. Instead, we perceive them like I perceived this guy this morning…..’what a pain in the ass!’

However, by recognizing everything for what it is, hence expanding our perception, we have a greater chance to be incredibly successful. No matter who the person is, just by knowing them and having a relationship, you have opened a door. It may lead to nothing, but is still an open door just in case. By making this a habit, you will eventually find what you are looking for behind one of the doors.

“Let’s swim to the moon
Let’s climb through the tide
You reach your hand to hold me
But I can’t be your guide“
–From Moonlight Drive Lyrics, by the Doors

Now that you hopefully understand the idea of opening doors, here are 5 Tips to help you create more opportunities for yourself each & every day.

1. Meet a new person every day

Whether in person, or through the internet, networking is key to getting where you want in life. Don’t be afraid to speak to someone or to contact them. Think of it simply as opening a door, regardless of the response. It is the simple fact that you took action that matters. You never know what may come of it.

2. Return ALL Calls & Emails

Too many times, I have returned an email or call that I did not feel like, and it worked out for the best. I have learned that getting back to people is just as important as meeting them. It is not just a matter of opening a door. Once you see what you like behind it, it is important to capitalize on the work you did to open the door through consistent communication.

3. Build Your Social Network

This is the great thing about blogging. Building up your social network is directly related to your success today. Meeting, continuing to meet, and staying in touch with people can be an all day task. By taking advantage of the new online technologies such as twitter, facebook, and other social networking sites, you can keep in touch with thousands of people and still keep sane.

4. Say Hello, even when you don’t want to.

Ever get one of those phone calls you don’t want to answer? Or better yet, ever run into someone you do not want to speak to at a local store? It is these moments that will define you. Say hello. Answer the phone. Think of it as opening another door. It may be a short pain in the ass, but just like the annoyance of finding a coin for a scratch-off ticket, it may all be worth it in the end.

5. Make these 4 steps a habit.

Consistency is key. Just taking a day or two to do this will show no results. It is important to make this a habit. Make it part of your routine. Only through consistently taking this approach will you begin to see the benefits. Trust me, I know .

“Strange days have found us
And through their strange hours
We linger alone
Bodies confused
Memories misused
As we run from the day
To a strange night of stone“
–From Strange Days Lyrics, by the Doors

How do you create more opportunities for yourself in life? Have you ever found an opportunity through a ‘pain in the ass’ experience? Help contribute and open more doors right now by commenting with some feedback