In my coaching sessions, I give you tools and then hold space for you to claim your role as the author of your life. It’s a nice metaphor, especially since I enjoy reading, but what does it mean to be an author? I went to the internet to find out.
In the Cyclopedia of World Authors, Frank Magil states, “an author is ‘the person who originated or gave existence to anything and whose authorship determines responsibility for what was created” (Author, 2021). Does that apply to you? Do you take responsibility for what is created in your life, or do you blame others and let them write your story for you? Do you bring things into existence in your life that you want in your story? Do you know how to do that?
Another vital piece of an author’s job, According to Neuvoo, an internet job search engine, includes “researching any factual information that might be included in their work.” How does this apply to your job as the author of your story? Do you believe that everything your brain is telling you is true? Have you searched for the facts of your story? It’s a fascinating exercise to write down everything you are thinking about a situation and then go back and look at each sentence and see if it is a fact. More often than not, you’ll see that most of your thoughts are a story that you are telling yourself. For example, “I can’t do it” is a thought, not a fact. Perhaps the truth is, “I’ve started three businesses, and none have been profitable after a year.” The reality has to be observable by others and not open to interpretation. Everything else is a story. Since you are the author, make sure the story is what you want it to be.
Finally, an author "will work closely with words and use the fundamentals of language to evoke our imagination, educate us, and hold our interest” (CareerExplorer). Words are powerful. According to the Bible, God created the world by the power of His word. “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” That's power! You have the power to put your thoughts into words. Those words influence how you feel, how you act, and the results you create in life. Does the story you are writing for yourself about your life “evoke [your] imagination?” Does it educate you? Does it hold your interest? If not, you can change your story.
As the author, you get to create and take responsibility for what is in your life. You must distinguish between the facts and the story and then write the story you want. Finally, you harness the power of words in your mind, on paper, and in communication with others to create a story that captures your imagination and educates and interests you. As Edward Bulwer-Lytton wrote, “the pen is mightier than the sword.” You are the author. You wield the pen to write your story. You have the power!
References
Author. (2021, June 21). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Author
CareerExplorer (2021, June 21). What does an author do? CareerExplorer. https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/author
Neuvoo. (2021, June 21). What does an author do? Neuvoo. https://neuvoo.ca/neuvooPedia/en/author/
For more help becoming the author of your story and creating the life you want, click here to schedule a 20-minute one-on-one to see if working together would be a good fit.