The novel Exile by Richard North Patterson has kept me occupied for the last week. It is fast moving book about the seemingly endless struggle of both the people of Israel and the Palestinians. I have felt so caught up in the story that I can feel that struggle as if I have been a direct witness to it. I have not but this book has expanded my sense of compassion for all those in the midst of such suffering.
The advantage of a story like this is that it helps me open my heart to those who suffer so constantly. It assists me in being a more conscious person by placing me rather directly in all that this story explores. It also gives me a great sense of gratitude for my own life and the freedom to live as I choose. I feel very fortunate not to be in the situation this story spells out.
The power of stories are that they can teach you and I so much about human struggle and the yearning for a fuller life. Stories can help us feel for others. Stories can help us appreciate what we have. Stories can bring us insight and awareness. Stories can awaken in us new and broader perspectives expanding our viewpoint and opening our minds even further. Stories can give you and I more to be thankful for and more to appreciate.
I have always appreciated the value of stories that touch me, that help me experience life in ways that I don’t get to have in reality. I don’t want to be in this story I am reading. There have been other stories I would like to have been in because they were full of fun adventures or enlightening exploration.
I am however only in my own story and frankly it is a story that I like as it constantly evolves. There seems to some positive options unfolding and I get to participate. How about your story, does it need you to appreciate it more, spice it up, make some adjustments, pull out of a rut, invite another person(s) in, or release yourself to be freer in what you have been given?
It seems to me we are the creator of our own story. I suggest to you that you make a thorough assessment of the story you have created called, Your Life. If it isn’t what you quite had in mind, I encourage you to make the necessary adjustment and get on with it in the manner you want to live. Now is the time. If you just wait than you may have to settle for less then you hope for. If you take action to spice things up then with time you may find yourself just where you want to be.
If you are not having fun, maybe it is time you make it happen.