Becoming the Main Character in Your Life

It could be safe to say that most of us grow up playing a character in someone else’s story. If I may assume, it’s typically our parents’ story or script. From day one, they dress us in what they want us to wear, feed us what they decide, tell us how to behave according to whatever their social norms or preferences are.

There wasn’t a lot of autonomy in the world of growing up, at least not in my generation (which is the tail end of Gen X). Kids were kids, no one was special, and we dealt with what we had and really didn’t know anything different. As we became adults, it felt a bit foreign to think independently of one’s family. I grew up in the south, where “family is everything” and you fell into place without question. Not I, though. I’ve gone rogue, and I want to tell you some of the key tips to becoming the main character in your life. Simple, yes. Easy, no. If this is an itch you want to scratch, I have my fingernails ready. Let’s make your life your own and be damn proud of it.

Discovering I Love Fashion as an Adult

First and foremost, you must know that you are your own person. Maybe you resemble a parent looks-wise, or have some similarities in your personality to the other. At the end of the day, your experiences are your own, and the way your brain works is only for you to figure out and understand. It’s easy to excuse yourself by thinking “I’m just like my mother” if you have a foul temper and so did she. Sure, you witnessed it, but is that you, too? Is that who you want to be?

Realizing that becoming the main character in your life must take some acknowledgment that you are unique and are able to put your energy anywhere to become anything is a good first step. It took me some time to do that and be comfortable with it, as I come from a family that likes to state “you are where you came from.” Yes, I am, and I can also change that with my actions. I am that powerful and capable, and very proud of that strength I have.

Taking on Responsibility is Fun!

There isn’t a child on earth that can help who raised them and how it was done. We have all fallen victim to our parents’ issues, beliefs, behaviors, and the list goes on. Absolutely there can be positive attributes, but what fun is that? My focus here is on becoming the main character in your life, and that takes a little bit of pushback from the environment you were likely born into. It’s fine to hide behind how you were raised until it’s not.

When you graduate from your parents’ payroll or houses, it’s time to take some accountability and responsibility for who YOU are, who you show up as and the world sees. The sooner you know who you are and how you operate, the better. That’s when the good stuff happens. You try on new adventures, whether it’s choosing a different reaction to a situation or taking a solo trip despite your mother telling you that you will get kidnapped and killed on said trip. I’m just asking you to start recognizing who you are and owning it.

Healthy and Happy

Ok, this is a debatable title because some people kill house plants like it’s their top priority in life. I happen to be good at keeping them alive, so I’m using it and this is my article. Growth is part of becoming the main character in your life. What does growth mean? Anything. You could read books, fiction or non-fiction and have a book club with some new and like-minded people. Pick up a new hobby that gets those brain cells alert and wondering what kind of ride you’re taking them on.

When you grow, your brain rewires, and there are so many ways of growing that are accessible these days. My recommendations are books from the library, podcasts, or working in a new spot once in a while. I love writing my blogs in new and different coffee shops, and my happy little neurons are thrilled to smell new smells and see new sights. I’m growing, and it’s not even that hard. My biggest flex is taking solo trips domestically and abroad. That’s where a lot of my growth happens. If you’re not quite there, it’s ok. But you might be sooner than you think if you keep it up.

I'm Looking at You

Just because a challenge doesn’t literally have an eyeball to look into, you know what I’m saying. Don’t shy away from something that seems “hard” at first. You know what it is? Unfamiliar. Since I’ve shifted into that train of thought, I’ve become much more at ease with situations I have never dealt with. Tell me one person on this earth who became an expert after one or two times of doing something. I’m waiting. New things, challenging things, are simply a muscle you must build in order to feel more comfortable doing.

When I started this blog, I had no clue what I was doing. Nor when I started my real estate company. I know I’m not a pro when it comes to new stuff, and that in itself is not an issue. You aren’t either. Becoming the main character in your life is going to require you to step it up in the resilience department when you need to face challenges. And if you’re not facing challenges, how is life worth living? You’ve got this, I know it.

Anyone Else Do Headstands in Paris Cemeteries?

There is and will always be just one of you. Never in the past nor ever again is anyone exactly you, and I love this fact. Did you know you have an obligation to express your complete and utter you-ness and uniqueness to the world because of this fact? Here is not only your permission to do so, but also your push. Stepping into your most authentic version of yourself is where you’re going to be the happiest and make the world around you a much more robust place.

As soon as I got real with myself and down to the core of who I, Liz Wood, is, I became the most badass little thing. My energy became infectious and people naturally gravitate towards me because they love how it feels to be around authenticity and realness. You can even read my blog on embracing your social awkwardness that I wrote, as I am socially awkward and I consider it a superpower. When you embrace you, you will start becoming the main character in your life. It’s a definite.

Believe in Yourself

Having belief in yourself is when you really start becoming the main character in your life because it becomes unshakable. I’d also call this “trusting your gut.” Despite other people trying to tell you what to do, how to think, where to go, you know best. You know yourself to the core and you believe in yourself and your decisions. I personally draw my belief from not only myself but my higher source, God, so I feel that I cannot take all the credit. But that’s just me.

You have whatever other beliefs that suit you and we will just agree to get along anyway. I’d also venture to say believing in yourself will also equate to your sense of self-worth. Not so far in the distant past, I struggled with this greatly and made some poor choices repeatedly. The universe would deliver the same lesson, and I would keep making the same bad decision until one day I said “no more” and that was that. I believe in myself, and I have my higher source to help me solidify that belief.

Becoming the main character in your life does not, weirdly enough, come overnight. You’d think by simply living in your own life that you are the main character, but no. There are so many outside factors to how we develop and who we develop into. It takes some effort to get back to our core being and ask ourselves what we want, what we like, and who we want to become. This is something I not only deeply believe in, but I have lived myself.

I am an excellent avatar for anyone who wants to create their own movie and live in it like the boss and main character they are. You’re no supporting role, you are the lead actor. And I’m here to tell you that you look mighty fine in that role, if you let yourself. I can’t wait to pop my popcorn and see you shine on that proverbial screen. You’re a star!

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