I am currently reading “With a Closed Fist” (Growing up in Canada’s toughest neighborhood) by Kathy Dobson. I am not going to offer a review, but will say that I am loving it. Given that it’s an autobiography, I am really interested to read how she progresses from “3rd world living” in Montreal, to writing the book. She clearly got an educational break at some point in her growing up… perhaps it is on the next page?

Life is pretty much like that though isn’t it? The next page can hold so much promise, or dread. The next page can produce uncontrollable laughter, but also inconsolable sadness. The next page can provide a new job opportunity, or a job loss. The next page can only realistically be anticipated, as there are no guarantees!

Of course if you read gangster books, the next page is likely to include a killing. Conversely, if you read romantic novels, the next page could present a heartbreak or a “hot and steamy” scene. It would seem reasonable to conclude that we can take some of the guesswork out of what the next page contains, by carefully selecting the book we read.

If we adopt the  analogy that our life is a book, then we could perhaps consider what kind of book we are writing. If we are writing about the self-serving interests of our culture; the hypocrisy and greed; the exploitation of less fortunate individuals etc., then we have every reason to expect the next page to be more of the same after all, isn’t that what we are focused on?

If however, our book is about integrity, compassion, and understanding, then the next page is likely to reflect examples of those traits.

Let us be realistic however, for although whatever book we are writing will contain pages appropriate to our focus, it will also include less desirable elements. That is simply the “real world”. There is a major difference however!

If we focus on the good in this world, then that is what we will mostly see. Whenever a bad situation comes along, it will be acknowledged accordingly, but then we will revert to our positive perspective.

In contrast, if we focus on the negatives in this world, then that is also what we will mostly see, and positive actions will be treated as isolated incidents, after which we will revert to our negative perspectives.

Life prohibits us from having 100% control over our lives, but we can still heavily influence the book that is being written at this moment. We will all be turning a page very soon, so what would you like to read on the next page in your book?

Food for thought.