3 ‘Acts’ to Improve Your Life Story by Cherese Jackson

You are the greatest story ever told and more importantly you have the power to alter the script.

Have you ever gotten lost in a dramatic novel or captivating movie? The kind where you are engrossed in the narrative you seem to lose track of time and space. The dialogue, language and character interaction does more than grab your attention; it holds you hostage until the whole storyline has been revealed. What if you were the star of the movie or the main character of the book?

You are the greatest story ever told and more importantly you have the power to alter the script. When you remember that you are the author of your own life story, you are free to create a masterpiece.

You have a supporting cast that’s second to none. Some of the members of the cast were pre-scripted and others you’ve handpicked yourself. No matter how they joined the cast they here for a reason and they all deliver the dialogue impeccably, each line timed and inflected perfectly for its respective scene.

Why were they cast at all? Will they help solve problems or will they only create dilemmas that need solving? Whatever the reason, they are there and they have a purpose. Even the extras are important in our story; they speak volumes about the setting that you, the main character, exist in. You know, the co-worker that you can’t stand, the nosey neighbor that lives three houses down, the friendly cashier at the local supermarket, even the police officer that accused you of running the stop sign and rewarded you with that outrageous ticket.

Over the course of the story, oh how each scene twists and turns, sometimes over years:

• a four year college expectation interrupted due to an unforeseen daughter’s arrival
• a failed marriage
• finally, a college degree
• a few fights with depression
• more children
• a struggle with cancer
• finally, a successful business undertaking
• a variety of births and deaths

…… as the plot continues.

The story of our lives can be viewed like a screenplay written in three parts called Acts. Take a look at how these Acts unfold regardless of the number of scenes in our lives:

Act One – The Set Up: Always most interesting to the story is how our lead character responds. Whether the current scene is peaceful or frantic, it’s trying to teach you something. Even if you don’t like this particular part, there is a reason for it, and it will give birth to a new set, new characters, and a new plot before you know it. Whatever you do, pay close attention to the details, and know that there is something grand behind them.

Everything that has happened has combined to bring you precisely to this moment. Don’t underestimate how profound your story is. Countless lives, even nations and empires, will hinge on your choices, right now and moving forward.

Act Two – The Obstacles: We all have our own life story. It is filled with relationships and events that help shape who we are and what we believe to be true about the world. Depending on our perspective and willingness to grow, our experiences can become the decorations that make of the focus of our pity party, or they can fuel a life of empowerment and continued self-development. It is the story we tell ourselves about what happens that makes all the difference.

Act Three – The Resolution: No matter who the characters are in your story or what they have done, you are the only one who can give their actions the meaning they will have for you. You are the only one who can define what role you will play in your own life. By taking responsibility for your story, you are able to learn and grow, forgive and find compassion, and most importantly, move on into a more fulfilling future.

You can’t rewrite the past but you can flip the script for your future. You can choose a life story that supports you and change the message that each experience brings. Let you story be proof of your own resilience and creativity. Be kind with the roles you give yourself and generous with the opportunities you get to learn the things you need to know. When you remember that you are the author of your own story, you are free to create a masterpiece. Seize this moment to go for it!

Cherese Jackson