Doors close. Possibilities open.

It is Sunday. A new year. A new beginning. A new perspective.

As the old year ended so too did my almost six years working at Canada's largest homeless shelter, the Calgary Drop-In & Rehab Centre (www.thedi.ca). It is an accolade I'm not sure one should strive for -- being the largest homeless shelter in a country. It's an accolade that affirms -- bigger is not necessarily better. Because in its bigness, it speaks to a breakdown in our social fabric that has lead to so many people needing the services of a shelter.

I struggled with ending my career at the shelter. Struggled, as so many of those who call the shelter home struggle, with leaving. With going out into the big world beyond the shelter doors to find myself again amidst the ebb and flow of life on mainstreet.

Fear is the opportunity to be courageous.

Working at the shelter I knew, everyday, that what I did made a difference. Being the Director of Public Relations & Volunteer Services it was easy to see the impact my work had on the agency, the people we served and the community. Our presence in the media was visibly increased, our volunteer base and donations increased significantly. Projects we undertook quickly gained traction and support. People came to us with ideas on ways and means to do more. I knew I made a difference and had lots of opportunities to express my difference in unique and creative ways.

But, beyond the shelter doors, who was I? What difference did I make?

After being the public face of the shelter for almost six years, it was hard to separate myself from who I was as the person in front of the TV camera or in the newspaper from the human being I am no matter what label I carry.

It is part of our human condition. To become comfortable with the labels we carry so that we know, and others know too, who we are and where we belong on the continuum of our social order.

Life begins outside my comfort zone.

Getting out the doors of the shelter was not easy. I loved my job. I loved working with the people we served, loved the sense of opening possibilities for more to happen in the world of homelessness.

But, the strain and stress of where I worked was taking a toll and I was becoming unhealthy in my own life. I could feel it. I knew it. As I told the Executive Director when I resigned, "I am not aligned with what is happening here and because of that, I am not bringing my best to work."

When I don't bring my best to whatever I'm doing, I have a problem. I am undermining my integrity and not acting true to my principles and beliefs.

Life is not a dress rehearsal, you only have one shot.

I had to give myself a shot at setting myself free. I had to give myself the opportunity to explore the 'more' beyond the shelter doors - no matter how scared I was to leave without having a job lined up to go to, without having a new place to belong waiting to take me in.

And so I did it. I left believing that as one door closed, a new one would open, or as is the case I am discovering, many new ones would open up. One week into the New Year, I already feel the joy of seeing vistas of unlimited possibility opening up before me. I breathe deeply into the reality of being aligned with my authentic self. Of not being 'the label' of who I had become when I believed I could never leave the shelter.

It is a great lesson, this leaving behind a place I never thought I could leave. It proves, as I often told both my daughters in years past, that we should not believe everything we think. The ego has a way of fooling us, of tricking us into believing it's right and knows what's best.

Our hearts know what's best, what's right, what's true. Our minds will always try to control our hearts. Our minds will always try to override hearttalk to convince us we must live in the fear of change because in that fear we are safe. We are not safe fearing life. We are not safe in our comfort zones.

Life is a journey, not a destination.

In this journey of my lifetime, I am choosing to live it up in the rapture of now. I am choosing to let go of what doesn't work for me anymore so that I can create more of what does.

As part of my opening up to the world beyond the shelter doors, I have committed to doing one thing everyday to make a difference this year. From small to big, everyday I must consciously choose to pay attention to the difference I make in the world. I invite you to join in the journey. I shall be writing here every Sunday about some of what is happening on that journey and you are welcome to visit me everyday at my blog, A Year of Making a Difference (www.ayearofmakingadifference.com) and share your stories of making a difference as we all join with Thelma Box and Choices in Changing the world one heart at a time.

Happy New Year everyone! May we each BE committed to DO what it takes to HAVE what we want. May we each know the joy of taking care of ourselves so that we have the capacity to take care of others with hearts filled with love and our minds knowing the truth -- better is always possible.

Thanks for being part of my journey.

The question is:What are you doing on your journey today?