On a recent trip to Italy, I visited Montecassino Abbey, a 6th century Benedictine monastery high on a hill. The 45-minute bus ride up the hill and then climbing 86 stairs to the top with no railing were so very worth it. The view was breathtaking, and the story of the location is amazing.
The Allies bombed the monastery during WWII thinking that the Nazis here hiding there. They were wrong. The place was destroyed, except for the graves of St. Benedict and his sister St. Scholastica. The entire monastery has since been rebuilt.
While on the tour we came upon this beautiful lighted doorway, recessed into the stone, and closed off by an iron gate. It grabbed my attention immediately, and the guide told us that no one enters through that doorway except the monks who live there.
Got me to thinking … you never know what’s on the other side of the door. Whether it’s a closed door in your home or office, your beliefs about the afterlife, or where you are in your career transition, you just never know what’s on the other side of the door.
Canadian writer and leadership speaker Robin Sharma said, “Hard work opens doors and shows the world that you are serious about being one of those rare – and special – human beings who use the fullness of their talents to do their very best.”
We all have skills and talents. Part of life’s challenge is discovering what they are and using them to the fullest. Think of a door as a threshold to something new. Your skills, talents, and hard work will pay off, and you will find something new – and special – on the ‘other side of the door’!
Written by guest blogger, Shelley Stoeckl, CPIBN’s Office Manager