Your Life Story

Last night we attended the wake of a friend here in Ottawa. George was quite known in the community for having taught driving to a lot of people. At the funeral house I concentrated in particular to a pictorial album of the life story of  George. It seems that everything we have done in life can be posted in one photo album presentation.

At any given moment we are the sum total of every thought we ever have, every word we have spoken, every emotion we have ever felt and every deed we have ever done. Who George was  is entwined with the album presentation.

For us still alive, we are still writing our story. Our story cannot be duplicated, neither can it be undone. The parts of  our story that are already written are history.

If you are living your dreams, thrilled with your work, blessed with your family life and flying high financially you are probably OK with the idea that your life story cannot be erased. But, if life has not worked out as you had hoped, if you are regretting the choices or feeling stuck in a rut, the thought of an indelible life story might sound like bad news.

But hey, we are not like George, now stock in a box and eventually end up in a hole. We are still breathing, therefore the current version of your life story is not the final draft. You still have unlimited room for growth. But understand this: your maximum growth potential isn't realized when you ignore or deny your life story; it is realized when you own it.

How do you own your life story? You start by acknowledging life's failures and disappointments, as they say facing down the ghosts of the past.

Once you have faced the truth squarely you can release your life story from the grip of regret and move forward without the baggage of so much old news.

When you take ownership of your life story you validate this on the basis of your inherent worth as a human being. It becomes a statement of your commitment, an affirmation that you are empowered. This empowerment comes from a simple faith that says ... "I can do all things through Christ"... This alone is the key of owning our life story.