The stories of our lives

What is life but a series of stories?

All of these experiences, all of these moments, when we look back on them, how else do we convey their meaning and their message?

Storytelling has been around since the beginning of language, since the beginning of life, since we sought to understand each other. We communicate to convey information. We look to everything and everyone to find some sort of clue, some amount of wisdom about our existence. How to prolong our own lives and the lives of others. How to change it into something meaningful. How to overcome a difficulty or a setback.

And we write our stories by living. We create line after line with each passing moment.

What do we deem worthy of writing down? What stories do we feel like sharing? And why?

I think one of the things that I’ve learned recently is that there is no line to your story that is not worth sharing. There is no moment of your life that is unimportant.

With each new line comes the chance for a new story to unfold. What may seem boring in the moment may blossom into something beautiful. One chapter ending just means that another one will follow. Just because the narrative is going in one direction doesn’t mean you can predict how it is going to end.

Life always has the final say.

In my years of sharing stories that both belong to me and to others, I’ve discovered such a beautiful side of humanity. We are all the main characters of our lives, with rich experiences, deep emotions and so many new lines being written constantly and persistently.

I’ve always felt so deeply connected to others through the art of placing the right words together and allowing others to read them. But it’s more than just words. Stories are more than just art. Stories are our lives. Our stories are what make us unique, and different, and special, and all of the things. They are the very essence of our being and our existence.

By sharing the lines of our lives, we open windows into lives, thoughts, feelings and experiences that are sometimes similar, sometimes wildly different than our own. What you do with this information is really up to you.

You can allow it to change you.

You can allow it to move you.

You can allow it to transform you.

You can simply allow it to be.

More often than not, I like to allow the stories in. Sit, stay, listen and share. By sharing our stories, we are sharing our selves. And it’s just for this moment that our stories come together, they intertwine, they connect, they are one.

It’s one of the most magical moments of life.

Then, maybe, our connectedness ends, and our stories stray. Maybe they will come back together again. Maybe they will not.

That is not always our choice. We are at the mercy of the stories of our lives, and the stories of others.

When it comes to our own stories, sometimes we do have a say. Sometimes we get to decide what words we write down.

We are our own editors, for better or for worse.

The interesting thing about editing is that you can use this power to deceive yourself and others, or you can use it to provide better clarity when a fresh perspective is needed.

After all, we are but one set of eyes, just one wandering soul with a pen and paper.

There have been a few times where I said that just for today, just for this moment, I’m going to erase that line and put in something else because time and wisdom has taught me that I wrote it down wrong in the first place.

The stories we tell ourselves are not always true.

It’s taken me a very long time to realize that. It’s been very freeing to allow myself the grace of being my own editor at times when our own storylines get very complex.

So, what story are you writing at this very moment? What lines are you tweaking? What chapters are you starring in, and what stories are you taking up space in the background? Whose novels are you in, and are you coming, or going, or staying?

Is it time to write the closing lines of your chapter and start anew?

What will be the very last line of your life story?

What moment do you think you’ll end on?

And if it ended here, is it a story you’d be proud to tell, or do you have some edits to make first?

I’ll tell you what I want my story to be.

I want a story that embraces the highs with a smile. A story that embraces the lows with dignity and compassion. A story that transcends all the inbetweens with a sense of purpose and understanding.

The lines may not have much meaning on their own, but collectively, they tell a story about a life that was unafraid to be lived. A past that I don’t want to erase, because each line, each decision, each memory formed the very fabric of my being and my soul. Each opportunity was a chance to learn and grow and to understand myself and the world just a little bit better.

As I sit and watch the tree branches sway in the wind, it’s just a gentle reminder that seasons come and go, but you will always have your story to guide you.

Believe in yourself, and just keep writing.

What doesn’t make sense now will someday provide a deeper sense of clarity and purpose to your life.

And then … well … it’s up to you to decide if you want to edit, or leave it be, or share it, or just let it exist as another line in your life.