What if we read our chapters this New Year?
As we enter New Year and begin another chapter, I wonder how many of us take our lives as a book. Also, what if we read our chapters? Many of us might be thinking along the same lines. How about we do the same for the journey we have done since we can remember and take it forward to the future that we don’t know much about? How about we divide our lofe road into chapters ready to explode? These chapters decide to design the content of choice and work on their meanings. They need to create value in our minds before we, as readers, get ready to voice the hidden crux behind them and take our actions as part of our future teachings.
Have you ever wondered if the past year that has gone by has had as many happy moments as difficult ones? They might not be obvious, but they were hanging throughout the 365 days, even by a single thread. Have we wondered whether our daily story begins in a tale full of small moments of laughter and adventure? There are moments of soft snowfall along with occasional hailstorms. This short havoc span stays in our memory, and we start defining our life based on their occurrence. We ignore that those regular small lighthearted moments are the ones that help us to survive actually.
The time that has gone by has so many characters that are, in fact, an extension of our personality. We identify with some and cower away from others. Some of them scare us, yet others gravitate towards us. Each has their own story governing their behaviour towards themselves and us. The same goes for our end as well. The vibe (positive or negative) we have created for ourselves is our restrained judgements regarding our surroundings and those who surround us.
Whether we have gained or are still stuck in our survival situation, this is as much our story as it is about others. Whether we blame someone else or ourselves, we need to realise that at the end of the day, our story and the path we took or are ready to take is our chapter of choice. Even when there is pressure for us to be a certain way or behave in a particular manner, we forget that there is always a next chapter ready to take over our pain or happiness. All that matter is the choice that we make for ourselves. This story of our life has its winnings and enough share of mishaps. And it is alright when we don’t get what we have set our eyes at.
We need to open our arms for ourselves and embrace ourselves in our totality. When Eminem wrote, “I am not afraid to take a stand…” the lyrics have the power to resonate with all of us in our way. The good, the bad and the ugly are all part of this package. Make mistakes, move on; if you have consciously hurt someone along the way, don’t forget to apologise and move ahead genuinely. There are times when you will be embraced. The others may not accept your apology easily or at all. But you need to clean your conscience and move further. There are so many more chapters to be written. There are several decisions to be made. Each morning we need to either continue our story ahead or, if it’s too bad, tear that paper or use an eraser pen to cover the loopholes and start afresh! You will make more mistakes it’s blundering, and create more havoc, perhaps for others and yourself. But you will learn.
That dustbin at the end of your journey might overspill, but keep discarding what you are not happy with. When you reach the other side and believe me, we all will look at some point. So when we cross that line and read all the chapters together, the final draft would be interesting. Our story may finish, but it is the journey that will never end. Someone else will be ready to write its sequel or an independent tale; it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that we all look forward to the writings on that wall of this life’s game! We know the scripts are not plagiarised when we read between the lines. The text may be similar, but the experience differs. That is where we need to dream on and dream till they become true.
So what if you read my chapters and I read yours? The link may be smudged, but can we read those lines that say so much in so little? What if we cannot find all the answers to our questions? How about we forget the end and pay attention to the process? Since we know there will be an end, and that is obvious, but the paths may differ. The outlook may vary, and the methods may change, but the story will remain the same. For each one of us, the plot is different, but at the end of it all, it is indeed a story that is unique, intriguing and interesting to each individual! How about we focus more on our writing? The readers will automatically follow, for we all have a powerful nose for news! This new year why don’t we start re-writing our chapters? What if we start afresh, be our editors and read our chapter?