The Right to Rewrite. (Our Life Stories)
We do not have to settle. Our lives, our work, and our legacy are still in our hands. It is our right to rewrite the future that lies in front of us.
If things are not the way we want them in our lives, or when we look at society — we have the right to work for change. We have the right to decide what can be done differently going forward.
Crisis does not need to be the catalyst. Waiting for it to get painfully bad before finally deciding to do something is what most people do, but at any point, we can sit down and start writing. What would we rather do, be, or have? What does the ideal version of our lives look like? Why are we where we are? What got us here?
Creating our life is our right and responsibility. The story does not have to unfold authored by another. We hold the power to shape how things go from now on. We always have, but we do not always make the most of it.
At one point, years ago, I thought I had an idea of what my life should be like. I should work until I become rich, or even better catch a lucky break and become filthy rich! I should even become famous. I should then get a lot of nice stuff. Rich, famous, and lots of nice stuff as it turns out are not the choices I crafted when I sat down and went deeper on what I want in life. When I decided to rewrite my story things changed. What I thought I wanted, was what I was told to want. Societal defaults. Carrots dangled in front of us to keep us on the treadmill of consumption and passively living “our lives”.
No. I exercised my rights. My rights to live how I wanted to. To be what I wanted to. And to decide my own reasons to do it. Choosing to change is not easy, and I am not even close to done the transition, but the story I am writing for my life now is my story. Maybe it always was, but the rewrites are better than the first drafts.
Tell me if you relate to my experience. Have you realized that the societal defaults and consumerism are not for you? Have you gone deeper and asked your soul what it wants to express, or create?
If we want to be happy, successful, or “rich” we need to ask ourselves what that even means. This is (probably) our only shot at life. At any point, we can decide to flip the script. Right now. Not tomorrow. Not next year. This very instant. A decision can be made. We can ask ourselves questions, get clarity, and act according to the life we have always wanted, but never defined.
Part of the process is accepting that our past has shaped us, but does not confine or define us unless we let it. The mistakes I have made in my brief time alive could fill countless paragraphs, perhaps even a book. I think it was all necessary looking back. I think I needed to start to go down a false path. I think I needed to have some close calls, and chaotic years to end up here right now.
Living up to what I believe myself capable of required a new look at my life. It will for you too. Repeating the same behavior loops keeps us embedded in our current circumstances, or within a menial margin. A rewrite sometimes means starting from scratch, or sometimes we can use some of what we have already built and change directions. Both have been realities for me over the years.
Even as I write this now, I am also considering rewriting and refining my future vision. I may always be adding to, removing from or revising my life’s story. That is my right. That is also your right. It is the right of every human.
Things are the way they are for us because we have either deliberately created our circumstances, or unconsciously created them. They did not accidentally happen. Our actions, habits, beliefs, and values create our trajectory. These can also be deliberately evaluated and chosen. Without our mindful choices, our subconscious will absorb them from our environments. If we do not consciously choose our values, beliefs, and habits it is difficult to exert full authorship over our stories.
The act of changing our life story is an act of changing our consciousness. If we want to live the best possible life, changes are required. They will happen regardless, but it is better to be their architect. Our life story is being written regardless, but it is better to be the author.
There is no wrong time to establish our control over our lives. There is also no ideal time. There is just somewhere in between. There is only a willingness to act upon what we truly desire.
Shaping the future of our lives as individuals shapes society, and even human history. Very few, if any, great people in history became remembered without deciding to author and create their lives. Time and time again we see examples of those who refused to conform to baseline expectations or settle for average. The people who make their mark made it by writing their story. It is doubtful that they got it right on the first try either. Who knows how many rewrites it took. History does not always reveal that.
All we know is the end result. Greatness happened. Legacies were left. Names were remembered. That is how it works. Did they take what was handed to them and obediently wait for what was given next? No. The greats amongst us are actively creating their lives and creating something valuable for the world. We do not need to wait for things to be given to us if we create what we want.
Each day that passes is a page in our life’s story. Are we engaged in writing it? Or is it the same page over and over again, that we do not even like, and did not even write?
This is the 53rd installment of Writing Wednesday. This is literally the active practice of me writing and rewriting parts of my life I am working on. It is also the process of building the habit of writing. I know I have so much to do to get better. Please share any feedback.
