When Life Doesn’t Give You Doors, Grab a Hammer

So I’ve been thinking about this Milton Berle quote lately: “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” And honestly? It hits different when you’ve actually lived it, you know? Like, really lived it with all the messy, terrifying, exhilarating parts that come with telling the traditional career path to take a hike.
I realized pretty early in my working life that I absolutely despised having bosses. I mean, loathed it with the fire of a thousand suns. There’s something soul-crushing about sitting in a beige cubicle, watching the clock tick toward 5 PM while someone else decides your worth and your schedule. The fluorescent lights buzzing overhead, the mandatory team-building exercises, the passive-aggressive emails about proper microwave etiquette in the break room. Ugh. Just thinking about it makes my skin crawl.
The thing is, I knew I couldn’t spend my entire adult life feeling like I was slowly dying inside every Monday morning. So I did what any reasonable person with a healthy dose of stubborn determination would do – I built not one, but two doors. First came my wedding officiating business, which was honestly a blast while it lasted. There’s something magical about being part of people’s happiest moments, even if you do retire from it eventually. Then came my computer courseware company, which became my main gig for many years and my ticket to freedom.
Was it scary? Absolutely terrifying. Did I have moments where I questioned my sanity? Daily, for the first few months. But you know what felt scarier? The thought of spending decades trapped in someone else’s vision of what my life should look like.
But let’s be real here – entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone, and I totally get that. Some people break out in a legitimate cold sweat at the thought of not having that reliable Friday paycheck landing in their account like clockwork. Benefits packages, paid time off, the security of knowing exactly how much money will be there next month – these aren’t small things. They’re huge, life-changing things that affect everything from your ability to get a mortgage to your peace of mind when you’re trying to fall asleep at night.
I have friends who thrive in corporate environments. They love the structure, the clear hierarchies, the defined roles and responsibilities. They find comfort in knowing exactly what’s expected of them and when their next performance review will happen. And honestly? Good for them. Seriously. The world needs people who can work within existing systems and make them better.
But for those of us who feel like we’re slowly suffocating in traditional work environments, Milton Berle’s words ring true. Sometimes you have to create your own opportunities because the ones that exist just don’t fit who you are or what you need.
The door-building process isn’t pretty, by the way. It involves a lot of late nights, financial uncertainty, and moments where you wonder if you’ve made a terrible mistake. I remember sitting at my kitchen table at 2 AM, working on course materials while wondering if I’d ever make enough money to justify the stress I was putting myself (and my spouse) through. But then I’d think about my old cubicle, and suddenly the kitchen table felt like paradise.
What I discovered is that being your own boss doesn’t mean you don’t have a boss – it just means your boss is every single customer or client you serve. In some ways, that’s more pressure. In other ways, it’s incredibly liberating because you’re building something that reflects your values and your vision.
The best part? When things go well, you get to take credit for your own success. When they go poorly, you get to learn from your mistakes without someone else’s interpretation clouding the lessons. Every decision, every pivot, every small victory belongs to you.
So whether you’re dreaming of starting your own business, changing careers, going back to school, or just making any kind of change that feels impossible – remember that sometimes the door you need doesn’t exist yet. But that doesn’t mean you’re stuck. It just means you get to design exactly the kind of door you want to walk through.
P.S. If you’re thinking about building your own door, start small. Test your ideas. Talk to people. And remember that every successful entrepreneur started with that same terrifying first step into the unknown.

Anaconda! is a ghost story where a teenage boy encounters the ghost of an angry solder who doesn’t realize he’s dead: Anaconda! https://books2read.com/u/mV6y2A
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