On Thursday August 31st, facilitator Don shared with us his most recent presentation entitled “ Unwritten “  

Don began by sharing that each day when we wake up, we each have a chance at a new beginning.  It is what we do with that chance that is important.  Do we do something special with our day, and do something that will make our lives better? Or is it just another day?  How do we feel about today?  How do we feel about today? 

Don then went around the room and asked everyone to rate their day on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best. On this particular Thursday, my mood registered as a 7.  There were many 7’s and 8’s in the room, but there were some low scores as well. 

Don shared that our numbers today reflect the present. But many of us spend way too much time living in our past. We know this is not good for our mental health, but yet we can’t seem to move on.   

So, now Don went around the room and had us share our numbers from where we we were a years ago at this time.  I came up with an 8 for this time last year.

Don also shared his numbers with us for his life so far. 

We graphed these numbers, illustrating, for the most part, the ups and downs of a normal life. Don’s graph also showed a dangerously deep dip in his late 20’s. It was a sustained dark time in his life.

As Don shared, does anyone really know their future? We can plan, we can prepare, but who knows what tomorrow brings. Just look back a couple years. Could anyone have predicted 2020? 

Don shared that he is in a pretty good place right now.  Most days he is choosing a good path when that choice is available. But there are no guarantees what tomorrow brings. 

As Don shared, none of us can predict the future but we can see and learn from the past. While none of us are in complete control of tomorrow, our thoughts and actions today have a major effect on what most of our tomorrows look like.

We are at least co authors in the next chapter of our lives. Open your mind and your heart to the possibilities. Live your tomorrows to their fullest. Make that next chapter in the book of your life the best one yet.

And most of all, when faced with darkness, fight your way out. Don concluded by erasing his graph from age 30 forward, wiping out the best years of his life, and leaving us with the question.

What if….

What if the low point of your life is the end?

In Don’s case, it would have meant the best chapters of his book would have remained….

Unwritten