You can’t change the beginning, but you can change the ending
Today’s message with my first cup of the day is: “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”
That statement is often erroneously attributed to C.S. Lewis. More than likely, James R. Sherman was the first to make such a statement in his 1982 book, Rejection. It said the following:
“You can’t go back and make a new start, but you can start right now and make a brand new ending.”
Sherman’s book focused on overcoming the pain of rejection. He preceded that statement by saying:
“First of all, you have to accept the fact that your rejection is over and done with. There’s nothing you can do now to change what has already happened. If you spend time worrying about it, you’ll lose sight of the present and stumble into a cloudy future.”
Our lives are ongoing stories in which each of us is the main character. We can’t hit rewind and start over. There are chapters in the past that we can’t change. They may include rejection, failure, loss, and pain. Those chapters do not determine how your story ends. The ending has a lot to do with your choices today.
I’m reminded of the 2006 film, Stranger than Fiction. IMDB user, lexster, explains the plot of the movie this way:
“Everybody knows that your life is a story. But what if a story was your life? Harold Crick is your average IRS agent: monotonous, boring, and repetitive. But one day, this all changes when Harold begins to hear an author inside his head narrating his life. The narrator is extraordinarily accurate, and Harold recognizes the voice as an esteemed author he saw on TV. But when the narration reveals that he is going to die, Harold must find the author of the story, and ultimately his life, to convince her to change the ending of the story before it is too late.”
I close today’s message with the following dialogue between Harold Crick, played by Will Ferrell, and Professor Jules Hilbert, played by Dustin Hoffman:
Harold Crick: “You have to understand that this isn’t a philosophy or a literary theory or a story to me. It’s my life.”
Professor Jules Hilbert: “Absolutely. So just go make it the one you’ve always wanted.”
Beverage Credit: A cup of weight loss coffee.
