Becoming a Reliable Narrator

 I saw a meme the other day in my social media feed that stated:

                        "I always trust the next chapter because I know the author".

I made sure to capture the image, as it made me stop and think do I trust my next chapter? 

Being the author of our personal stories is not an easy job.  Despite the feeling at times that life happens to us and we are along for the ride, we are constantly making microdecisions and choices that may seem insignificant, but carry larger ripples.  Often, the outcome of those ripples does not show itself until many chapters have passed, and we may have even forgotten all about what led us to where we have landed.  

Some plot twists we are absolutely in control of, and are conscious decisions we make either in the heat of the moment or after a long, slow burn brings a big change in our lives that we may or may not feel ready to explore.  The type of trust it takes to navigate through uncertainty is deep and can feel elusive at times.

Getting to a place of trusting what comes next is all about believing that we are reliable narrators and creators of our own destiny.  Without that deeply held belief, there will always be a twinge of doubt and uncertainty as we move through our lives.  Even when we come to a place of self-trust and belief, I think those moments of doubt are important to notice, because they provide just enough of a pause to consider where we are and where we are headed, ensuring the path ahead still feels authentic.  Authentic and clear are two different things - I think that staying true to ourselves trumps the overall clarity of knowing exactly where we are headed in life.  And honestly, can we ever truly know where we are going, anyway?  

Trusting the author of our story comes with time and is strengthened through taking chances and accepting that sometimes the outcome is what we desire, and other times, it is not.  Holding ourselves with grace and understanding when our decisions do not lead to the outcomes we are looking for is all part of the process toward knowing ourselves better. With that knowledge, we begin to make choices and write chapters that better reflect who we are and how we would like our story to unfold. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Letting Go

 This past weekend, I helped my eldest son as he prepared to take the next big step in his life's adventures.  It felt bittersweet to watch as he packed up the room in his apartment, in anticipation of setting up a new room in a new city in the near future.  I have felt proud of him over the past few months as he has navigated many unknowns and new situations with a sense of certainty and enthusiasm for what lies ahead.  Deep down, I marvelled at his ability to let go, to embrace the new opportunities being presented while letting go of the life he had been establishing over the past couple of years.  Thinking back to when I was his age, I am not sure that I would have had the ability to make these same decisions so easily.  Sure, I have had my fair share of tough choices and have navigated change as I have journeyed through life. Still, I have often felt a sense of dis-ease when it comes to letting go of what is or has been to make room for what might be....
Read more

Finding Peace in the Unknown

Anyone who knows me will agree that I am someone who tends to find comfort in feeling like I have things figured out.  I mean, who doesn't?  Feeling like the ground beneath your feet is steady and predictable brings with it a sense of confidence and ease, one less thing to worry or wonder about. It can also be limiting at times, especially if we allow ourselves to be bound to these expected outcomes. My therapist will often call me out on the practice of trying to figure things out, looking at the world through a rather binary lens of things being either this or that, and looking for the reasons and logical outcomes as a result of these conclusions.  Letting go of this aspect of control is scary, and also liberating. Lately, I have been trying to catch myself in the act of going too far into the perceived future, gently guiding my mind back to where my feet happen to be at the moment, remembering that being in the present is the only place I'm required to be.  It. Is...
Read more

Sometimes, We Need Reminding

 I seem to be forever adding notes to my phone, items to my calendar, and due dates to my whiteboard at home:  all reminders of things I need to do, places I need to be, and what needs to get done.  This weekend, I took some time to remind myself of something more important - the person behind all those lists and due dates. It is so easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of what is happening next that we forget the why behind it all.  We lose ourselves in the doing, simply moving our way through our days, not pausing even for a moment to remember our why.  It's not our fault; life moves quickly, and we are often fighting a battle of too much to do with too little time.  It feels indulgent to slow down and connect with ourselves, and this is how we forget.   We forget who we are: our likes, dislikes, the experiences that shaped us, and our hopes for the future. We put these personal inventories on the back burner to be added to a to-do list for ano...
Read more