About this quote

Loss often clears room for new people or chances. Look at what opened instead of only at what disappeared; that change creates options you can act on. Ask yourself: who or what could fill this slot, and what can you do to make space for them? Make one concrete move, like sending a message or changing a routine, so you're ready when the next person arrives.

When to use it

• At work, when my manager handed in their notice I told the team the line I heard from Coelho and then we split responsibilities and started interviewing replacements.
• After my roommate moved across town, I said the quote to myself and used the empty room to set up a quiet workspace and post a listing for a new housemate.
• When a teammate dropped the class, I quoted it to the study group and we reassigned tasks and invited a classmate who had expressed interest to join.
• Following a breakup I kept the line in mind, signed up for a weekend meetup, and started going to one new social event a week.