Most days I read books to escape my own reality, just to get a taste of someone else's life; their hardships, their romance, their thoughts, I do this for the simple reason that I want a break from my own. Sometimes, their chapters are better than mine and that makes me want to strive to be more like the characters. Other times, their stories are harder, worse, more complicated than mine and it makes me appreciate the simplicity in my life. Either way, I find it to be a blessing to escape from my reality and jump into theirs.
The beautiful part about escaping my reality and hopping into the character's is when things get shaky and they lose control, you can close the book, flip the page, or even skip to the next chapter. I am able to take control of where my mind wanders, question if I would react the same, overall I can evaluate their situations without it ever affecting me permanently. These are the things we sometimes wish we could do with our own hardships and in our everyday life. But you can't skip chapters in life and that's the beauty behind it.
There are moments in time where you will ask yourself why me? It may feel like you're constantly asking yourself this. Perhaps it isn't just a moment in your life but in fact - a whole chapter of your story. These will be the times you are challenged, beaten down, at the verge of breaking, but you won't. You've been chosen to face these obstacles because you can handle it. Because you are ready for it. It is you because no one else can take on your hardships and overcome them the same way.
It's nice to think about skipping the difficult chapters in life, just going down the yellow brick road. However, if you never are faced with these challenges you will never learn how to overcome them. You will never become stronger or better or have the ability to grow. Each person faces their own obstacles because they are meant to be shaped in different ways. We all play a specific role in this crazy thing called life. Our world would be rather boring if we were all expected to face the same challenges day in and day out. We would all react the same. We would never grow as a person or as a society.
We're always looking to the next big thing but that thing is now, it's today. It just seems that no matter how great something might be at this exact moment, there's something more exciting coming in the future that takes us away from all we are given. Imagine living in a world where not a single day was taken for granted. Where we were appreciative, giving, and looking for each others best interest.
Even when the going gets tough, we need to learn to embrace our hardships because those are what make us unique. They are what make us strong in areas others may struggle with. Embracing challenges will enrich our lives and our hearts in ways we never imagined possible. We will appreciate the beautiful moments so much more when we stop and realize just how great things are for us.
Stop skipping chapters in life. Stop avoiding the hardships. Take each day as it comes. Appreciate what is right in front of you. Give love. Bring joy. Find peace.
