Be the author of your own life story

As a writer, my nature is to thoroughly assess every angle of a situation. What's happening here? is simply the first question asked in a long series of whys, hows, whos, and whats. My characters demand this attention to detail. They require my insight so they can grow and develop in positive, purposeful ways throughout their stories.

Yet, I find myself failing to allow the same thoughtful deliberation in my personal circumstances. I don't want to appear a drama queen because that is so far from who I am, and I don't want to over-think things I should be relaxing and enjoying. Where is the line drawn between having responsible thought processes and being a control freak?

This week, as I begin the draft on the first novel in a series about embracing life in its fullest, I've been looking at my own life as though I were a character in a book:

What would I, the author, change about my character? 

What type of future will she have? 

How can I develop her into the heroine of her own story?

It's rather odd to step back and objectively look at your own life, but I highly suggest you do that today. If you were a character in a book, would the reader want to know more? Would the reader sympathize with your situation or hope you fall flat on your face? Please don't misunderstand me here - I'm not saying you should change yourself based on what other people think. Just take a deep look at your character and ask yourself, Is she/he someone I'd want to get to know? Is my story a comedy, a tragedy, a page-turner, or the boring kind you'd put down after only one chapter?

Then, I want you to realize that you are the author of your own story.
If you want a different ending, then write one!
My coffee collar this morning at Starbucks quotes Oprah Winfrey and says, "The only courage you ever need is the courage to live the life you want."

What life do you want?

That's the story you should be writing.