From the Heart
“The pencil that you hold today is writing your story. Only when you draw your last breath will your story be written in ink.”
I wrote those thoughts a few years ago. My husband reminded me of them this past week.
When you think about it, you are given a new pencil every January 1. Does your story look how you planned it? There is a good chance it doesn’t.
We plan our life and then stuff happens. Some of it we can control, some we can’t.
But the truth is that we, for the most part, control our pencil. Even if we hand it over to someone else, it is our decision.
January 1 brings many thoughts to mind, especially questions.
What do I want to change? Do I want this chapter of my life to look like the previous ones? Am I afraid of making changes? Do I dare to pursue my dreams at this point of my life? What am I teaching my children? When is my “old” too old?
Each chapter is left blank until you begin it. Hold tight to your pencil. Let the story be your story and not the story of someone who thinks they know what is best for you.
Sometimes I have looked around and wondered what others will say about what I am about to write when it comes to my story. The older I get the more daring I become. In other words, don’t touch my pencil. It’s mine.
My story looks very different than what I thought it would look like when I was 20 and looked ahead to when I was 60. Yes, 60 looked old back then.
At 48 I changed careers. At 58 I found my prince charming in the waiting room of the car dealership where I work.
What if I had not been brave enough to walk into Don Hinds Ford and ask for a job selling cars? What if I had not said “yes” when Chuck asked me out to lunch? What if I just decided I was too old to take a chance?
My story would look very different from what it does today. Yes, I held tightly to that pencil. Yes, I made the decisions and feared that I would fail, that I would get hurt again. But I did it all … afraid.
My story looks like that which would be written for a Hallmark movie, a really good one.
I took hold of MY pencil and allowed my story to flow from my heart as well as my gumption.
Never think you are too old to write a new chapter. Never be afraid to fail because there is also a chance you will succeed and a new happiness will be found. There is beauty and adventure in the blank pages you have yet to write upon.
Never think your pencil can change someone. History is evidence of future actions. Giving someone a second chance is one thing. Giving them nine or ten is another thing. Hold tight to your pencil and write down what you want your life to look like.
Your pencil gives you power over fear. Your pencil has a beautiful story to write. Never stop writing. Never let anyone control your pencil. Never allow negative thoughts to be written by your pencil.
Guard your heart and guard your pencil from those who wish to control you.
You have so much to write. You have a new pencil. There are beautiful and powerful words yet to be written.
It’s your pencil. It’s your life. Write well my friend, it’s not written in ink … yet.