Finding opportunity in loss OR The dog ate my mouse

The reason I posted yesterday's blog entry today is that on Sunday night the dog ate my mouse. I left the living room to have a nap and just once - once! - forgot to put the mouse, keyboard and leads up high where the dog couldn't get them. When I came back to the room he was sitting on the sofa with the mouse between his paws.
'That's odd,' I thought. 'The mouse cord doesn't reach that far.'
Then I realised that Barney had improved the mouse so that it could be taken as far as he wanted - by chewing off the cord. Of course he did this right at the base so I couldn't mend it. My next thought was 'good - now I can get a wireless mouse'. That's when I started thinking about the doors that open when a door closes, and how each loss can bring with it opportunity.

The next day I went out on an unplanned trip to buy a new mouse. On my way out yelling next door alerted me that stress levels were high with kids home for holidays so I offered to take the oldest boy with me. He repaid me by running round the park with my dog so that I could sit and rest, since I was having a low energy day. We had a great outing and his mother got a break - another door that opened when Barney ate the mouse! Here are a few more examples of doors that opened when one closed in my life.

• I had to sell my house to pay my debts and move to a small country town, where I got the opportunity to meet a lot of new friends and get involved in some interesting new activities
• I was just about to take up a new permanent job when I had a relapse of ME, so instead I took on a research contract which led into a successful career as a secondary researcher, writer, public speaker and trainer that allowed me time to work flexible hours and rest more
• I missed out on my dream job once but got an even better one that I was much more suited
• I had to leave behind the Wellington Bisexual Women’s Group, which I so enjoyed being part of for over a decade. But in my new home I got involved with the Hamilton Pride committee and through them the wider rainbow community, which I really enjoy, and set up a new support/social group for bisexuals.