The Chapters of Our Lives

 If you were to open the book of your life, what chapter do you think you’d fall into? Are you happy with how your story is going, and more importantly, do you have faith in yourself for the journey you’re embarking on currently?

Each and every one of us has a story to tell, a narrative made up of the most significant moments of our lives that define who we are. We have many chapters, some filled with love and excitement, while others are quiet, heavy, or transformative. But every single one of our chapters matters and is worth sharing. 

So many of us often wonder when our story finally “gets good” and are in such a rush for that discovery but the journey is the biggest blessing. The imperfections of life are what help build a good story. 

Developing Your Character

There is a running joke on the internet about many people feeling as if they’re the main character in an ongoing story or movie. Although many people use this perspective for selfish reasons, it does have some truth to it. We obviously aren’t in a wild action plot but we are the main characters in our story. We follow ourselves through this rough, roller coaster journey, and reflect on our actions from the past. 

Characters in a book or movie will often confront personal challenges that require growth, and as a result, they change within themselves. Similarly, we should always strive to continue changing, growing, and learning from our mistakes and past experiences. It is important as humans that we continuously flourish and mature as time passes; our experiences in life bring about valuable lessons.

Some of my favorite characters in books and movies are those who have shown immense growth throughout their story. It shows us that anyone is capable of change with time, as long as they truly want it. 

If you find yourself often ruminating on your personal choices and character flaws, maybe it is time to water yourself and grow. Maybe you’re overly anxious, get angry easily, or let people walk all over you. These aren’t qualities to be ashamed of, but they can stunt your personal development. A powerful reminder to keep close is that every single day is an opportunity to be better for yourself. If you’d like to start finding ways to further develop your own character, reflect on the following questions:

• Are you able to identify any recurring themes in your life?

• What is the best version of myself?

• Is there anything I can currently work on to be a better version of myself?

You can always engage in self-reflective practices as well to help identify areas in need of growth and development, such as journaling and meditation. As we develop ourselves, our choices for our plot become a lot more intentional and shape who we are. 

Engage With Your Plot

Some stories sometimes go through a lull, making it hard to stay engaged. Life becomes quiet, we come across difficult periods, or we simply hit a low we just can’t seem to get over. It’s a hard realization to overcome when you realize that your life can become dull and mundane, especially when you’re in a situation where you don’t feel like you’re progressing much. However, we can still find ways to stay engaged with our own story.

Whenever I find myself itching for more in a moment of stillness, I try to make every day interesting. I’ll go to a new coffee shop or restaurant, give myself little dares such as complimenting a stranger or striking up random conversations, or spend my entire days scouring Pinterest for a splash of inspiration. I always give myself something nice to look forward to. 

You can do the same! Perhaps you can pour your cup into connections that need filling, or visit a new place outside of routine. Explore a hobby that brings you joy and stokes the fire within you. Find something that you can squeeze into a pocket of time throughout the day so that every day you have a moment for you. Do things that make you feel like there are infinite possibilities left to explore, and in turn, life will open up a path for those possibilities. 

Here are some practical, simple every day activities that will offer engagement for your plot:

• Dare yourself to talk to someone new or offer compliments (you never know what connections can open up from this)

• Say yes to something that scares you

• Commit to reviving an old hobby

Carry an open heart wherever you go, and you’ll find that your willingness for change will open up new paths. 

Unpack Each Chapter

We all have chapters unfolding in our lives, and in every single one of these chapters, there are turning points and challenges we overcome. Depending on the person, a chapter in your life can be as simple as a season changing, a mark of the new year, or the mark of YOUR new year, your birthday. However you define these periods of your life, they all have one thing in common: they teach us lessons and provide the space for personal growth. 

I know that living through the quieter and tumultuous chapters of life makes everything seem bleak, but it is the crucial moments that provide the most healing for me. There is something quite beautiful in the ups and downs of life, and sometimes I consider myself lucky to get to experience the different facets of life that’ll eventually lead me to my destination. Each phase presents us with something different, and when we look back, we realize that those moments that we thought were breaking us were actually making us stronger. 

Life is hard, and there will always be a point where we overcome huge challenges such as love, heartbreak, grief, transformation, or discovery. Every single one of these events signify an important moment of our lives. When living through the chapters of our life, there are always intense emotions that connect with it. You learn various lessons and develop valuable tools and skills to guide yourself through life. At one point, we will have to accept that life is difficult, and it will ebb and flow. It is up to us to accept that, although not all chapters of our life are easy or beautiful, they all have a specific purpose. 

However you decide to define the chapters of your life, it’s easy to feel lost within everything. There is a lot of uncertainty when the next chapter hasn’t been written. Sometimes when I am overwhelmed with the weight of my future, I think about everything I want to do, and start to think about what steps to take to attain those goals, and that excites me more than anything. A powerful reminder to keep close is that you are in charge of your own story, so decide what happens next. 

Take some time to reflect on how you will continue to write your story. Will you add some drama to your plot? Perhaps a change in setting for future chapters or a thought of bringing in additional characters? You have the power to create real change and open up opportunities, so take a breather and decide what the next page of your life will be.

Your journey and growth won’t always be linear, so acknowledge that things always rise and fall. Sometimes, growth happens in the small ways you show up for yourself and those around you. As long as you continue to take charge of your own story, you will continue to find more possibilities. 

About the Author

I’m a Journalism and Media Studies major at UNLV, expecting to graduate in the Fall. My role as an intern is Blog and Newsletter writer here at LYF, I hope to learn more about writing and gain skills during my time here. I’m passionate about all things creative and believe that art should take center stage in our life to preserve humanity. I love to read, write and watch sitcoms in my free time! Most importantly, I live and breathe music.