The Self-Care Journal

We all have a narrative for our lives…

What if the story of our lives could be read like a script rather than a book? You see the analogies of chapters, turning a page, even shelving or burning the past. Those work for some, but I believe in a gentler approach for those who need another outlook such as viewing a life story as a script. Scripts have drafts. In those beginning, draft-like years, there is a lot of learning where mistakes are made- some big, some small, and some profound. You see them, don’t you? The moments that we wish we could redo in life. We can’t erase those moments from our minds. Not easily. When looking back, it can be easy to fall into the spiraling snare of regret and shame. That is where life can become a script. You don’t have to solidify a draft, but you can learn from it. It’s the point where the story can be altered. This rewriting doesn’t have to come from a self-deprecating place or a mindset that one is broken. No, my friend, you were never broken. Consider how an author writes; the many times they make mistakes. Mistakes are not a sign of damage or a lost cause to the author. It doesn’t have to be an insult to be in the stage of the first draft. It is the cornerstone of a masterpiece. True growth is not instantaneous, rather it is progressive. 

In truth, you don’t have to rush into your best years. 

Life is rarely an endurance test. It’s okay if you don’t find the answers quickly. The experience and its gifts are there to see you rise in your due time. Think of the moments when you look in the mirror and you can notice something new about yourself—that’s progress. Every clarifying moment you become aware of your patterns is progress, and every time you find joy in a song that speaks to you is progress. Just being yourself in a world so riddled with masks, even for a tiny moment, is monumentous progression. Those little moments are valuable and precious. Every bit of knowledge you gain can never be unlearned, and that’s a beautiful thing. One day, you will remember. You will know when that knowledge you gained before is ready to help you move forward. So, know that it’s okay to not have all the answers and to go for years just learning, exploring. No matter your age or place, life will always progress if you embrace it. Every draft rewritten is another step towards the masterpiece. When you hit a block, take time to sit and set the pen down. Let life flow as it will. When the time is right, you will know when the pen is ready for you to continue. 

Remember, my friend, you are a masterpiece in the making…