The Ribbon in My Journal – Phyllis Hoffman DePiano

Learning to Turn the Page

There comes a day when you realize turning the page is the best feeling in the world, because you realize there is so much more to the book than the page you were stuck on. — Zayn Malik

I read this most interesting statement the other day written by Zayn Malik. It really struck a nerve with me. I flashed back to the time I was in chemistry in high school and I would read and re-read the same page over and over. I realized that I glazed over halfway down and my eyes would scan the page without any comprehension of what I was reading. Then I would go back to the top and re-read the same page, glazing over at the same place. Finally I would want to give up. Unfortunately, in school we had to understand each page before we could go on.

In life, I find that mentally and emotionally we become stuck on a current situation or event that has occurred in our lives. It may be a tragedy, an illness, or a difficult situation we are dealing with, and we just can’t seem to move past it. We replay it over and over in our mind and find we are still at the same place.

It is hard to let go and move on isn’t it? But when we do, it is refreshing. How do we move on past our circumstances? How do we get something out of our minds that seems to haunt us?

First, decide if there is anything you can do to change it. If you can’t change a situation then why are we letting it occupy our thoughts? We have to fill our minds with other thoughts and not let it take over.

Second, if there is something you can do to right a situation then do it. That’s the hard one. It may be going to a person and apologizing or clearing up a misunderstanding. Most of the time we have made the situation bigger than it really is.

Finally, if there has been a tragedy or loss in your life, moving past it is hard. Turning the page to a new life seems impossible, but the best option may be to find a dear friend in whom you can confide. Sharing our thoughts, fears, and hurts with someone will lighten our loads. You can’t rush time, and turning the page may take awhile, but be aware that turning the page opens up the rest of your life’s story to beautiful times.

Turning the page is moving forward with great anticipation. As I write my thoughts today, I can recall many times in my life where I just had to turn the page to a new beginning. Turn the page today, and open your heart to new days ahead.

As we anticipate fall, it seems a fitting time to think about change. How have you turned the page?