Chapters in the Great Book of Life

Anyone who says they have

only one life to live

must not know 

how to read a book.

Author Unknown

Last night I started a new book.  I tried to register new characters by their names and significance, to record landmarks that might be important to the story, and to be cognizant of any foreshadowing that just might be tucked into the writing.

Somehow I drew a parallel between a new read and a new segment of life, as in both there is always so much to learn and absorb.  There are layers of knowledge about new physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual surroundings.

In new situations, we may have to determine where to live; what resources to use to support our emotional makeup during change; how to navigate successfully between new forms, policies, and routines; and when will we encounter kindred spirits.  In a book, much of this is eluded to in the first few chapters.

There are books written for romance, adventure, inspiration, education, fantasy, mystery ... the list goes on.  If you are mesmerized by the author, it doesn't matter if the book is fiction or non-fiction.  The reader gets pulled into the written word and becomes so occupied, escape from the present moment occurs.

THE CELESTINE PROPHECY was written by James Redfield in 1993.  It discussed psychological and spiritual ideas prevalent in the roots of ancient Eastern Traditions.  James Redfield's message resonated within the hearts of many and the book landed on the New York Best Selling List.  By 2005 over 20 million books had been sold worldwide and the book had been printed in 34 languages.  

The CELESTINE PROPHECY was criticized by some claiming that it was not 'well written'.  The story was about a person's spiritual awakening and the transition that accompanied it.  If a critic chooses to pick a part the style of a book rather than be inspired, this supports my idea of a parallel between books and life.

Segments in our life unfold and in being truthful, our story may not have great style.  There will be those who might criticize our transitions and miss entirely the lifting of our personal baggage.  Negative opinions will be shared even though uninvited, so we must stand strong in what we know to be true for our own character.  We must not ad lib or change lines to simply please our attentive audience.

There are some great 'reads' and some that miss the mark, but this too is like our own chapters in the great book of life.  We ace some portions and we struggle miserably with others.  We, as authors of our own stories can only hope that the message in the end will overshadow the words which lacked style and grace.