There’s a saying that goes, “You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one”. We all can agree on how true that is.  But it seems so difficult to do just that- to keep moving forward and reading and creating new chapters.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve caught myself re-reading my past chapters of my own life. I’m still trying to understand things. Still wishing to change things and still having those “what if” thoughts come to my mind. It’s frustrating!

My past experiences creep up on me, making me feel nostalgic or guilty, and stuck with those still unanswered questions or the uneasiness of it all. The worst part of the whole thing is having new questions come up, and you get lost in your past in your own mind. It makes moving forward more of a challenge every time it happens.

Then I remind myself that I don’t want to be always reading those past chapters still trying to make sense of it or trying to rewrite it in my head. I can’t change the past, but I can learn from it.

So I’ve taught myself a few things.  First I’ve come to understand more and more that the past will always be a part of who I am.  But I need to choose to learn from it rather than trying to erase it. Second, life only goes forward so I need to as well.

And lastly, Heavenly Father doesn’t want me to stop reading in the chapter that I still have questions or confusion about. He wants me to have faith that everything will make sense in the end as long as I keep moving and turning the pages.

So no matter how many times my mind may wonder back to past chapters, I know I need to remind myself that my story doesn’t end when things seem to be going wrong; leaving me feeling like there’s no way out. It doesn’t end when I fall back in my own struggles and need to start over.

Most importantly, it doesn’t end when someone else thinks it has. My story will end when I get to my happy ending. With God’s help, I know he’ll guide me to just that. How much of a blessing it’s been to teach myself such things and have a better understanding and peace every day.

We all have our own stories. We all have our difficult chapters; some more than others.  But that doesn’t make us any different because we are all after that same happy ending.

Remember that in order to have more happy chapters, you have to believe in your own story. Believe in who you are. Believe in this life. But most importantly, believe that our Father in Heaven is right there to guide us to make sure we reach our happy ending. Hold fast to what you know and have faith that God is in all things.

Here’s one of my favorite scriptures that’s helped me through my most difficult times-

2 Nephi 31:20

Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

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Life is really just like a book. Sometimes you go back to past chapters to read about all the exciting and happy moments.  But sometimes you get stuck reviewing bad memories, and try to sort out unanswered questions.  Try to always keep the good parts of your past and let them make your current chapter happier.

Don’t be afraid to leave the bad parts in the past, but take the lessons you learned and move forward.  A book should only be read from the beginning to the end. Life should only be lived while moving forward.  So keep turning that page, keep trying to improve, and keep writing your book. Your happy ending awaits.

Have faith in you.  Have faith in your story.

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