"You must have control of the authorship of your own destiny.
The pen that writes your life story must be held in your own hand.”
—Irene C. Kassorla

I love this quote; to me it speaks to how we would all ideally live our lives. Yet, it seems that all too often we give up our pen and let others make notes and even write chapters in our lives. This could be our family, our job, our friends, or other institutions or groups. This seems to be a far cry from the people that founded this country. They left their homes to take back control of their lives and write their own story, rather than continue to have it written for them.

As I look around it seems that we have gotten away from this ideal. As adults we seem to slip into a terrible case of the “shoulds.” I should go to the gym this morning. I should go to this event. I should go into this career. The shoulds go on and on. For many of us, our lives have become a series of obligations rather than the adventure we had thought it would be when we were younger. It seems as we get older, many of us forget that we always have a choice.

“You’ve got a lot of choices. If getting out of bed
in the morning is a chore and you’re not smiling
on a regular basis, try another choice.”
—Steven D. Woodhull

Instead, many of us conform to the ideas of what we should be. We try to impress our love interest or find the right words to put on a resume. We join this group or that organization so that we can be accepted or applauded even when it is not something we are really passionate about. It’s just something we feel we should do.

“It is better to be hated for what you are than
to be loved for something you are not.”
—Andre Gide

Realize it is never too late to find out who you truly are and what you want. That doesn’t mean the things and people you love won’t change. Your passions may take a new direction, but I think right now is the time to start listening to yourself again. Rediscover what will get you excited to get out of bed in the morning.

“Though no one can go back and make
a brand new start, anyone can start from
now and make a brand new ending.”
—Author Unknown

So what is stopping you? Are you afraid of what other people will think? Are you afraid that you’ll take a leap and fall flat on your face? Are you afraid that you don’t really know what to do? Just try something. Feel your way though it. If it feels right in your gut, give it a try. Life is way too short to be wasted on letting everyone else write your story.

“Life is too short not to make the best
and the most of everything that comes your way every day.” —Author Unknown

If you feel that you have lost some of the control in your own story, then consider finding one little thing that you can be passionate about; one area that you can take back the control in and see how it goes. Then again, don’t feel as if you should do this. Remember, you always have a choice.

“I think of life itself now as a wonderful play that
I’ve written for myself, and so my purpose is to
have the utmost fun playing my part.”
—Shirley MacLaine