I love to read and I love to write. Lately, I have been toying with a few different ideas for a novel and am bouncing between the protagonists in each in my head to decide which one I’d rather spend all that time with. That idea got me thinking about life. First my life…then my family’s and friends’…then, believe it or not, yours.

Fictional protagonists go through a lot. They persevere, they overcome, they learn and they grow. A good protagonist is also imperfect. They make mistakes, they lose their temper, they try to be good, but often screw up from time to time anyway.

I can’t speak for you, but I know that pretty much describes me pretty well. I’ve been through a lot. I’ve made some mistakes, some major and some minor. I’ve always made the decision to get back up, even when that was the most painful thing for me to do. And yes, I still get it wrong from time to time.

Thinking about my life as a book, changed my view of my trials, tribulations and triumphs. Astounding alliteration aside, I enjoyed looking at my life through that lens. Suddenly, I was able to see the character in myself. More importantly, I am now able to view my moment to moment decisions with a wider scope. Will I respect the protagonist who sits in a desk chair and works all day long? Maybe…that’s a quiet kind of heroism. How about one who is completely stubborn about certain opinions that they’re difficult to rationalize with (yes, that’s me about Western medicine). Maybe…maybe not…but whether I respect them [me] or not I’ll be able to relate or empathize with them.

Of course there are many considerations that are running through my mind about my choices, but I’d rather you take a look and ask who the hero is in your own story. What story are you writing with your life? Do you like your decisions? If not, are you changing them or just feeling guilty about them. If you’re feeling guilty about them, can you now relate and empathize with yourself a little better and let that lead to the changes you want? If you think seriously about this exercise, the course of thoughts can really run on and I feel that it is a very important discussion to have with yourself.

If you’re able to look at your life by the tale being told with your real-time, right-now decisions you may open the door for new possibilities with the choices you make. Maybe your story will be something grandiose like creating a foundation that leads to world peace. Or maybe it will be simple and quiet like a person who fights through illness, depression or fear and still chooses to get up and go to work every day. That doesn’t save lives or alter the course of history, but it takes a certain kind of inner strength to do it and is a hero nonetheless.

My point is this: YOU are the hero of your own story. What kind of hero are you?