“No one can ever take away from you the power to interpret your own circumstances.” – Dr. Vincent Amanor-Boadu, Kansas State University
If you were to compare yourself to a movie star, who would it be?
If you could be any musician, who would it be?
If you could be any politician in history, who would it be?
If you could be any writer, who would it be?
If you have ever compared yourself to someone famous, then you are, in essence saying, “I’d like to be them in a story like that.”
We all love stories. We are all part of a story. Think about the people you will meet today. How do they see themselves in their story? Victims or victors? The hero or the schmuck? The damsel in distress or the knight in shining armor?
Who are you in your own story?
I like writing because I can control the narrative. I’m currently writing a novel and find great delight in creating a cast of characters and getting them to do exactly what I want.
I don’t have that luxury in real life, but I can control the narrative of my own story. While I can’t control all the circumstances or outcomes of my story, I can control the way I perceive myself. I can either cast myself as the hero or the loser. It just depends on how I view myself in my circumstances.
Writing also helps me to write my way out of my circumstances. If I see my life as a story, then what does my character need to do to become victorious over the circumstances? How does my character (me) overcome failure? How does my character handle success? How does my character handle betrayal? How does my character handle difficulties? I develop my own character as I write my character into the story.
If I’m the narrator of my own story, then I take control over the ending. And, along the way, take away the narration of my story from anyone else that thinks they have a right to offer commentary.
When I write, I then retain the power to interpret my own circumstances.
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