You are The Writer of Your Own Story
The pages of the past have been written; the story has been read. The pages of the future, these pages are actually in the process of being turned. Who’s doing the turning you may ask?
That’s right, you are.
This entry will not tell you what to do, when to do it, how to feel, nor how to think. It won’t even tell you what to eat, whom to marry, nor where to live.
It will only tell you the truth about your present moments and your tomorrows.
Right now, every opportunity and possibility is open to you. What isn’t true of yesterday is profoundly true of today.
Write the stories however you choose, but never forget who holds the pen.
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July 28th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Hi Bamboo - I really like the analogy you have given. Every new day can be considered a new blank page, and we can choose the words that will be written on it. Very empowering message.
July 28th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Did you see the movie “The Butterfly Effect” where everything the lead character would write in his journal would then happen? Well, things didn’t work out too well for him, but I think that people should definitely take the time to decide what they want the story of their life to look like. We do each hold the pen, and it’s sad when we forget that.
July 28th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Inspiring.
But… don’t you think there ARE outside limits to what we can achieve?
July 28th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
(I don’t want to sound redundant because I’ve said this before, but..) Well said my friend! Very, very well said…
July 28th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
@ Al: That’s the message I was trying to convey. Glad it was clear to you.
@ Marelisa: I don’t think I’ve seen that. Yeah, we hold the pen of action, and thought. It’s easy to forget, true.
@ Vered: Yes I do, Vered. And indeed, things don’t always go the way we planed or desired. But part of holding the pen is taking responsibility for our thoughts and internal responses to outside stimuli. Holding the pen in this case doesn’t mean things always go our way. But it does mean we can choose how we react. We can work on it too.
July 28th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
@ Ribeezie: As long as you’re giving a compliment - you can never sound redundant in the P.I Universe!
July 28th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Hi Bamboo,
Lovely article. Reminds me of what Robin Sharma said - You are the author of your biography.
July 28th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
I really like this. Short, to the point–well done.
It’s always good to read posts about how we CAN improve our future.
July 29th, 2008 at 1:53 am
Hi Bamboo,
No truer words are spoken. We do have control over our destiny. It’s all in the choices we make.
July 29th, 2008 at 8:33 am
Hey BF, I agree 100%. Have you ever read The Power of Story by Jim Loehr? Absolutely brilliant! As good as his previous book ‘The Power of Full Engagement’ written with Tony Schwartz. If you haven’t read it I’d encourage you to check it out because it goes into the whole ‘Hero’s Journey’ concept in detail and it’s not at all dry like some books of that genre.
I actually met the guy about 6 months ago as he was walking off a tennis court at the Human Performance Institute. He said “Get out of my way loser” and knocked me to the floor (he’s at least 6′ 4″ btw) before kicking sand in my face. There wasn’t any sand there, he’d brought his own bucket just in case he met a pasty, scrawny Limey.
Actually that’s not technically true, he really stopped to chat and was very gracious.
July 29th, 2008 at 11:25 am
I enjoyed the brevity of this post. You really didn’t need to say more. One important point well made, can often have a greater impact than many points that are so much fluff.
July 29th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
@Avani-Mehta: Glad you found value in it.
@ Phillip: True. We sometimes have to keep reminding ourselves that we do choose.
@ Barbara: Choices are key. True.
@ Tim: I haven’t, but maybe I should. Awww, I like the first story better of what happened.
@ Tom V: I agree with your sentiment. I was contemplating turning this into something larger, but later concluded the punch would be compromised if I did so.
July 29th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
Right on, brother.
July 29th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
Short and thoughtful. Never forget who is holding the pen. We often forget who takes control of what happens to you. Wanna share one quote
“Everything not happens TO you, everything happens FOR you.”~Joel Osteen
for us to write our story better and better, if we choose!
Robert
July 30th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
What a positively refreshing site. I loved the colors when they came on the screen, and your words made me stay. Now, I’ll subscribe.
July 30th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
@ Llama Fish: You know how we do…
@ Robert: That quote by Joel is very insightful and inspiring. Thanks for sharing.
@ Writer Dad: I’m glad you enjoyed the colors and words. Thank you for subscribing!
July 30th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Story is one of the most important things in our lives. We all organize events and memories into story. We listen to and tell stories daily. And if we are all indeed characters in a story we have a lot of power.
Most great writers will say that at a certain point their characters will take over and do things that they didn’t expect or plan. So these characters have basically written their own story even if the credit goes to someone like Stephen King.
So I don’t think this is an analogy or a metaphor. I think you have hit the nail on the head here.
p.s. I run a feature on my blogs called “Storied Thursdays” where I tackle this type of stuff all the time. Come check it out.
July 30th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
Bamboo,
Excellent post. That’s an example of what a really good blog post can, and perhaps should, be: short, concise, clear, and thought-provoking. A enjoyable quick read.
While yesterday has come and gone, today–this very moment–lies wide open before us. We don’t have to do the same old, same old. We can choose to something new and more fulfilling.
There’s great responsibility in that power though. Reminds me of a quote by R.C. Sproul:
“Right now counts forever.”
July 31st, 2008 at 7:00 am
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July 31st, 2008 at 7:27 pm
@ Chase March: Your sentiment about stories is excellent.
@ Jesse Hines: Very powerful quote. Thanks for sharing.
August 1st, 2008 at 12:42 pm
I love this - we DO hold the pen and can decide what we want to write in the book of our lives!
August 1st, 2008 at 7:03 pm
@ Lance: Indeed.
August 3rd, 2008 at 3:33 am
Hi, Bamboo!
I love writing new stories every day! This is a neat post - short and sweet and to the point.
*smiles*
Michele
August 4th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
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