A few months ago, I read Don Miller’s book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. The singular message of this fabulous work is to think of yourself as a character in a book. And to think of your life as a story. To some of you this may sound like fluffy, impractical hippie speak. But is it? Really?
I think this is one of the greatest pieces of advice ever uttered. It forces you out of the monotony of the day to day. It challenges you to take what inspires you about life about others’ stories and lay the life that you lead side by side with it.
So what about you?
What does you life narrative look like? Is it compelling? Is it something you would read? Would you stay up late at night, thumbing through pages just to find out what happens to the protagonist? And most importantly, do you like where the story is going? If the answer is no. Then its time for you to write a new chapter.
I know how scary reading that may be.
I spent quite a few chapters of my life, governed by social scripts. Climbing up a corporate ladder I hated because that’s what guys like me were supposed to do. We were supposed to be partners in big firms. Wear $600 suits. Swish around $25 glasses of champagne on Friday nights. Make crazy amounts of money. And maybe donate a million dollars to charity right before we die so we can be immortalized on the side of a wall no one will ever read.
It was both terrifying and exhilarating. That moment I realized I had to start writing a new chapter or my story would simply be one of lavish mediocrity. Some of you are reading this, and saying “what the hell is this guy talking about?!”. But a few of you know exactly what I’m talking about. And you are one of us, a remarkable misfit that doesn’t fit neatly into the boxes the world gave you.
If you’ve been following our trip
And been inspired by the stories you are hearing. Then maybe its time to saddle up and get started thinking about how to launch your own personal revolution. To start crafting the outline of the next chapter of your story.
You have one life. And you are not going to spend it playing by the rules that your teachers or parents or society or college or the corporate world gave you. Are you with me?
I’ll be talking about this a bunch more starting next year. If you’re interested in joining the resistance, you can sign up below.
About AJLeon
