What Part Will You Play In Their Story?

What Will They Say About You?

Did you know that whether you like it or not, you will play a part in the story of every person you meet? Think about it…when something happens to you, good or bad, whether it’s an encouraging conversation, an all out toe-to-toe blowout, or simply sharing a seat next to someone on the bus, one of the first things we do when the interaction is over is tell someone about it. Regardless of whether your interaction was intentional or accidental, everyone involved becomes part of the story. Whether the outcome impacted you directly, or whether you were an innocent bystander watching it all go down, in some way you are part of that story.

Casting Call

Every story has 3 key characters:

The Protagonist (the good guy, hero, heroin),
The Antagonist (the bad guy/villain)
Best friend/ supporter, the peacemaker.

Webster’s dictionary definition of these characters:

Hero/Heroin: a person admired for achievements and noble qualities : one who shows great courage

Villain: 1: a character in a story or play who opposes the hero; 2: a deliberate scoundrel or criminal; 3: one blamed for a particular evil or difficulty

Peacemaker: one who makes peace especially by reconciling parties at variance

In the stories that others tell, where you are one of the main characters, what part have you been type-cast into time and time again, and what part will you play in the next story? Believe it or not, you have a choice. You can re-invent yourself and re-imagine yourself playing a different, better and even more impactful part by making a conscious decision before you open your mouth or move towards re-enacting the same old script that you’ve been cast in time after time.

Changing Roles

I recently had a conversation with a young man who was collecting donations for a teen drug program where they house young men and help them overcome drug addiction. He shared with me how he transformed his life and changed the story that others told about him. He shared how several years ago he struggled with an addiction to drugs and alcohol that kept him in a state of paralysis where he didn’t see how he could move beyond his current circumstances. His role in the story that others told was that of the antagonist, the loser, the one who always brought the drama to every situation and constantly burdened others with his shortcomings because he constantly found himself losing jobs, moving from place to place and always depending upon the goodwill of others. If this sounds like someone you know, check out “Pain That Causes You To Change”.

Because of the prayers of those around him, he gave his life to the Lord and that was his turning point to change the script of his life. Having heard someone quote “You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts have taken you”, he began to realize that how he saw himself and thought about himself was a direct result of where he was in his life. He realized that in order to change his life he had to change his thoughts and fill his mind with positive images of what he wanted his life to be instead of what seemed to be the reality of his current circumstances. Having heard the quote by Charlie Tremendous Jones — ‘You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read‘ he began separating himself from the group of people he had surrounded himself around for so many years. He began reading books that helped him shape his thoughts to see things he had not seen before, hope for things he never thought he could have and embrace the realization that everything he needed to experience real change in his life, was already on the inside of him.

By making the conscious choice to feed his mind and his spirit with life giving sustenance, the role that he now plays in the stories of others is that of the hero, the good guy, the peace maker, the supporter, and in my story, the “antagonist”, the leader and encourager as I was so encouraged by what God was able to do in his life.