Turning That Page
There are people who can boast about their near-death experiences; those who have miraculously recovered from fatal diseases and illnesses, narrowly escaping death in an accident, fire, or natural disaster. However, the appreciation for life on such a level is not limited to a few individuals those who came face to face with death and are living with renewed energy during their new lease of life. I believe that the very same intensity of emotion can be felt by every single person through looking at their own personal experiences in life. It’s your story.
Every human brought down to this world comes with an infinite amount of possibilities and opportunities. At that moment, your potential knows no limit and has no restrictions. You have come with a blank book, which day by day gets filled and as time goes on, your path becomes slightly more narrowed and directional as both positive and negative personality traits develop. What begins to mold how your story plays out is the environment you are raised in, habits, repeated behaviors, exposure, and the people you interact with, all which begin to factor in building yourself as a person. Before long the first few pages in your book are filled, and as different milestones occur, various chapters are begun and ended; each chapter marking another stage of development.
Although everything that gets written goes straight to print, the beauty comes when a couple of chapters later the individual has become someone who decides to control their anger which previously was dangerous, they can heal relationships that were once broken, and reign in destructive thoughts or behavioral patterns. There’s no going back, because what has been written is unchanging, but the blank pages that lie ahead are yours: You are the dictator. The scribe is your servant merely doing its duty by recording the story of your life.
There is no point in deciding to change turning over the page for a new chapter if you have not come to terms with the ‘you’ starring in all the previous chapters. Denial won’t work- for you are not starting a new book and leaving your old one behind to collect dust on a shelf but rather, just turning the page. So understand that it was YOU who wrote the last few chapters if that comes with feelings of pride and satisfaction, or equally even remorse or regret. There is great comfort to be taken in knowing that however many pages lie ahead they are yours to create, shape and mold. The total number of pages you have in unknown and you have no way of knowing whether you are just at the beginning, or even nearing the end. That’s why it is so important to keep writing, keep creating. Only once you’ve accepted the past can you start the next chapter with determination and enthusiasm.
Not only must there be a level of acceptance but a deeper understanding; what are my triggers for acting the way I did? How can I prevent myself falling in this situation? How did I make the most of that time? What would have been the best reaction? Can I understand why I had to go through some of those situations? What tools have I gained as a result?
An author who understands the protagonist of his novel will create situations where he knows how the character will respond. Know yourself based on the beginning of your book, but also know that those chapters don’t define who you are, they just helped shape your world beliefs, morals and values all of which are malleable and ever-changing.
Look back. Accept. Turn the page. Start that new chapter.
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