Become the Author of Your Life’s Story
Do you remember your very first book? Perhaps it was an adventure novel or maybe a simple story about a character’s day. Opening the pages meant that a whole world could come to life before your eyes.
These stories connected you not only to your own imagination and curiosity, but to the authors who wrote them. Someone, somewhere created the characters you came to love, set the characters in their own time and place with care and intention, and crafted a story—a narrative that you still remember all these years later.
As you grow older the novelty of those stories may start to fade as circumstances of life, relationships, and your view of the world shapes you. The story of your own life, which once felt limitless and open to possibility, has begun to take form.
Before you know it, your own story seems written, characters set, time and place defined.
That story is likely not as mischievous as those childhood stories once seemed to be. Perhaps you were met with pain, loss, trauma, mental or physical illness, or broken relationships. All of which influenced the story of your life.
But what if you let a little curiosity shine in yourself? What if you knew you had the power to write your story? The truth is—you do hold that power. As you begin or continue a path of healing you can be the author of your life, create the story that aligns with God’s true intentions for your life, and be the hero who triumphs in the end.
Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV) For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Who’s writing the story?
Why are authors so revered? Or those who write books seemingly so brave or intelligent? Because they have exercised the ability to take what they know and craft a narrative worth telling, while simultaneously also believing that their story has value.
You possess the same power. The same ability to take hold of what you know and share it with others, or at the very least, soak up your own truth laid bare. To wave the pen or tap the proverbial keys and write your story.
To become the author of your own story means recognizing that you have something to say to the world, for the better. That your life has meaning. That your actions have purpose -even those that you may be less proud of. And that the value of your life can have an effect as lasting as all the words on all the pages of the books that have withstood the test of time. Being the author of your life means taking ownership of your perspective—taking ownership of your ability to create meaning.
Romans 8:28 (KJV) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, and to them who are the called according to His purpose
There’s more to the story than the words on the page
At first glance, an authors’ greatest strength seems to be their words. Without words you wouldn’t have a story to read. But if you take a closer look you will notice writing a story, becoming the author of it, starts with the mind.
Romans 12:2 (KJV) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God
Your mind, your perspective, is where you will decide the direction that your story will take. It is where you make critical decisions about your path. When you learn about the power of your perspective, you will have a better understanding of what kind of actions you want to take, what kind of words you want to speak, what kind of character you would like to be.
Authors take time to consider the perspective they take on their stories.
You may want to begin by asking yourself:
Who or what has been writing my story so far?
What perspective will my story take?
Where would I like my story, my life to go?
These questions are best asked in the company of those you trust. Take time to consider who values you: a wise counselor, family member, or friend. Share these questions with them, and carefully consider your answers.
Proverbs 19:20-21 (TPT) Listen well to wise counsel and be willing to learn from correction so that by the end of your life you’ll be known for your wisdom. 21 A person may have many ideas concerning God’s plan for his life, but only the designs of his purpose will succeed in the end
Taking ownership of the narrative
Once you have decided on your perspective, you can begin to actively write your story. This will mean making hard decisions, making adjustments as you go along, and allowing trusted confidants to help you make corrections for your betterment.
When the characters try to assume control:
As you start to make decisions about the direction of your life, of your story, consider how others or your life circumstances have been writing your story so far.
Perhaps parents or romantic relationships have made your decisions for you. They have dictated what kind of life you ‘should’ live. In some ways, even the society at large may be guilty of passing along this sense of what is ‘right’ or what makes for a good story. If this is true, it will no doubt be a challenge to pick up a pen and begin to write for yourself.
Do it anyways.
It is important to keep a trusted support system around you. However, that support system is there to hear what direction God has given you for your life and support you on that journey. Allow constructive criticism from your support system versus falling into a pattern of allowing them to assume control.
It is your story to write, You have the power to decide where you want your story to go.
Remember:
Isaiah 55:8 (NIV) For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
When life has its own ideas:
Circumstances also have the tendency to hijack your life story. Whether ordinary, traumatic, or stressful, circumstances can overshadow our hope and begin to dictate what direction you take in life.
Perhaps the circumstances of your life or upbringing have been so overwhelming, you do not know if you have the energy to write your story, to care to see your life heading in a specific direction. Remember, however, that life’s challenges do not dictate whether an author writes their story, it only changes the narrative. Rather, the best authors write what they know, and often use circumstances to inform the stories they write.
Difficulties, challenges and roadblocks all happen to characters, but they do not determine the outcome. Authors decide the outcome.
As the author of your story, you decide the outcome. Partner with God!
Life will happen, challenges will arise, and maybe it’s true that they will delay some of the decisions that you make for yourself. However, your decisions can still be made. Edits can happen to your story; corrections can be made to your plans based on what you need. The difference is you are in control of the direction the story takes.
What kind of story will you write?
One of the grandest decisions you will make about the direction of your story is what kind of story you will write. Some stories are tragedies, some hopeful, some magical, some adventures, and some down to earth.
Ask yourself this question for guidance as you make decisions and start writing your story:
What kind of story will my life be?
Who do I want to be a part of my life story?
What changes need to be made to start giving my life a new direction?
Who do I trust to help proofread (give constructive criticism) about my story?
Who will you be?
When writing your story not only do you have the power to be the author, you have the sole privilege of being the main character. Your life, much like many stories, has—and will have- adversities. Those circumstances that seem to overshadow our view and hold us captive in thought about what has happened and what we have lost.
What is beautiful about adversity in stories is that there is almost always a hero to overcome it. You, as author of your story, have the unique opportunity to write yourself as the character who faces and is victorious over adversity.
1 Corinthians 15:57 (ESV) But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ
For it is not the adversity itself that defines you, rather how you perceive, decide upon, and triumph over it. Like the heroine or hero in tales of old, you can be victorious over the adversities in your story. Ask yourself these questions for reflection about the hero you want to be:
What do I want to overcome?
What have I overcome already?
How will I be the hero who has victory over adversity in my story?
The greatest stories of triumph are those in which the hero recognizes his or her strengths, admits weaknesses, and calls upon others to help him or her overcome the challenges ahead.
The value of heroism is not that it is achieved alone. Rather that it shines brightest in the light of friends and comrades who pursue and hope for the victory alongside the hero. Consider how you will write others into your story to support you and be supported by you.
Now that you know your power as author and hero of your story, you can go forward knowing your story is truly in your hands. With free-will, use your perspective, experiences, and adversities to write a story that unfolds and effects wonderful change on the world around you.
All that said, many great writers develop their craft by drawing on the wisdom and trusted support of others. Reach out to me today to help support you in picking up the pen, and writing a new narrative from this point forward, and helping you become the hero you are meant to be!
