Rewriting your story

If you could author any story, what would you write about? Would you write of wonderful wilderness adventures like The Hobbit? Would you transcribe titillating tales of unsolved mysteries like Sherlock Holmes? Would you pen down fantasies of far-off worlds and infinite galaxies like Star Wars? Would you scribble about lessons learned from a character’s chaotic life such as Jo in Little Women? WHAT IF, you simply became the author of your own story - the great adventure of YOU and all the characters that come and go throughout the plot twists and turns in your life.

There is something beautiful and powerful about making the decision to show up in your own life, in the everyday tasks and routines. We all have the secret desire to be a superhero. Why? Because we were all created to be heros, to save the day, to win. Every superhero movie calls out to our appetite for adventure, our longing to triumph evil with good, our innate desire to be powerful. The truth is, you already are powerful. You already are a superhero. You already are the author of a brilliant story that is still unfolding - your story.

The word “author” comes from “auctor,” which is “one who causes to grow” and from the late 14thc century “[a] source of authoritative information…” Who else would be a better authority on your life than YOU? You are the one who gets to “grow” your story. You are the one who gets to be the authority on your life. You are the one who gets to author and develop your story as you explore and discover YOU. It may not always be easy, but your yes, your choice to own your story, will always be worth it.

Perhaps another author has convinced you that they hold the pen to your story. And sometimes, things happen that are beyond our control, but you always have the power to choose how you will respond in every situation, in every moment, in every up and down. We all have a past with different characters. Sometimes the best friend tries to play the lead or the guide turns out to be the villain. The ones who were supposed to protect us don’t. The ones who were supposed to mentor us fell short of the task. The ones who were supposed to journey with us took different paths. We all experience the conflicts, twists, turns, heartache, and triumphs of our own stories. The question is, how will you finish? How will your story end? THAT is up to you.

You are a hero, and you have a hero’s journey to complete. You have new characters to meet and old, familiar ones to continue building with. You may not always know what is around the corner, but you always hold the pen to write how you will respond: to withdraw or choose connection; to shut down or invite life in; to venture alone or choose community; to stay stagnant or keep moving forward.

If you aren’t writing your story, someone else will, and yet, no one else can be the lead in your life. It is never too late to become the hero of your story, to say yes to the adventure (and all that entails), to say yes to being the authoritative author of your life. Wandering the wild and unknown places and pit stops of your life may be the most courageous thing you ever do. I guarantee that your own story will be the greatest one you ever discover. No matter where you are in the plot of life, will you courageously take up the pen to continue writing your story?