Those Beautiful Closed Doors | Anna Gomez Books

Merry Christmas, dear readers! As I write this, I imagine you all as we are – filled with delicious food and desert and wine and plopped down in front of the television. My son is home from Denver and has declared a “History Week”. As it stands, we are watching Gladiator (we watched this in the theater over 20 years ago), and will most probably move on to Gladiator II and Shogun and Rome.

There will be a welcome silence in my life for the next two weeks. No emails, no calls, no meetings. It’s rare but expected, as work shuts down during the last two weeks of the year. There is a stillness that leads to creativity. All these words. Forming, sprouting, being brought to life.

Christmas has always been a time of introspection for me. Mainly because it signals the end of the current year, but also because it’s the time to look back at the year that was with so much gratitude. 2024 was filled with so many new things for me. New opportunities, new friendships, new realizations, new accomplishments. This was the year of achieving the biggest highlight of my career. But it was also the year of realization – the year I finally accepted what was good for me and what wasn’t so good for me. It was the year of investing in things that were worth investing in, and letting go of dreams that just won’t come true. I carry a great sense of relief these days.

What scares us most about closing those doors is the fact that they may never open again. Or that we’ve worked so hard for years and years and giving up would mean nothing but wasted time. But the truth lies in the fact that only by closing doors and walking away, can new opportunities come to light. We’ve fixed our gaze on one shiny object without understanding how far we’ve come, how so many victories have been overshadowed because we only acknowledged our failures.

This year, I prayed so hard to let the things that were meant for me keep me from wishing for those that weren’t. And gosh, what a change it has made in my life. It allowed new people to walk in, new friendships to form. It allowed me to be myself, knowing what my capabilities are and what they aren’t. Doors are opening as we speak, and I am making choices that I know I can accomplish. It’s different now. Having the ability to say No and Walk Away, gives you the self confidence you need to stand on your feet, stay true to your values and cherish what’s most important to you. I am sure you all remember that back in 2021, I walked away from my work family of seventeen years because I needed to sleep well at night. There will always be tears for such difficult decisions. But they are not tears of sadness. They are tears of strength. Of resolution. Of a resolve to live a life that makes every single minute as meaningful as it should be.

Popularity is often mistaken for success. When in fact they are polar opposites: one is fleeting and the other is your legacy. These days I can tell that my family sees the change in me. I’m what they call “chill” now. There is no searching or trying to fit in. Those who need to find me, find me. And what a privilege it is to be found.

I guess that sums up my year in a nutshell. I have created more space in my life for the things that matter most to me.

What did you walk away from in 2024 and how did that create more space in your life?

Now for some news. Somewhere Along the Way released its Ebook version through Rakuten Kobo last September. Just a few weeks ago, I had the honor of being asked to partner with them again. Months after its release, Somewhere was picked up by Open Road Integrated Media for the paperback and audiobook versions. I cannot express how grateful I am to have Open Road in my corner. We’re talking about more projects to come, so I hope you stick around for a while. I’m also hoping to announce another partnership that we’re working on that will bring our books to life in another shape and form. For now, I need to keep it under wraps, but hopefully not for long. On the work front, I am enjoying my role as CFO of a group of advertising agencies so much – my bosses remain kind and supportive and building a best-in-class Finance team has been so much fun. On the personal front, I’ve got so many trips planned – some down time in Europe, a wedding in the summer, and I’m proud to represent the guest of honor country (Philippines) at the 2025 Frankfurt Book Fair.

Open Doors. And never looking back. Such a wonderful pair, I tell you.

Wishing you all so much joy and good health, and a multitude of open doors in 2025.