It is said that we live our lives like the chapters of a book, each chapter different times in our lives.
Some chapters end in sadness, others in happiness. Some end abruptly for no apparent reason, until years later when you realise that the chapter ended for a reason.
We move on, we adapt our lives to circumstances, we all age and we all know what the final page of our lives will be. Everyone has the same ending, some peoples books are long and full of excitement, others are short and full of tragedy.
Today, I close a chapter in my book and prepare to move forwards on new chapters, new ideas. I will take with me my life experiences, and friends made for life, this new chapter is one which is yet to be written, but the previous chapter needs to end.
Everything changes in life, we have no control over events that effect our lives, bereavement and loss are beyond our control. The loss of a loved one can be either a shock or a longer drawn out process. We all eventually die, everything dies eventually. But we must write our own chapters of our life book and remember that our own mortality is something that we cannot control.
Everyone can make a difference, no matter how small, we all have a gift to give, helping somebody load a box into a car, helping someone financially or just being there on the end of the telephone are all gifts. They do not need to be material things, the gift of our time is the best gift to give.
If you have children, you will understand the need to give them everything possible, always be there for them, especially when they are ill. You would trade places with them in an instant, give up your life for them with no question.
We have all experienced illness at some point in our lives, and we are all ageing, changing in appearance and for some the effects are permanent, for others we recover and continue along our life path.
Some people believe that our path is already written, that our destiny is already mapped out for us, people have different faiths, different beliefs and everyone has an opinion. This is what makes us a diverse society. No matter what you believe, you can make a difference to your own life and those around you.
Many people I have worked with are making a difference in the Charitable sector, in many different organisations from Domestic Violence to helping animals. They work tirelessly for their cause and for many, the rewards are not financial, they do it because they are making the difference.
There are some fantastic people in the world, many people who have sacrificed so much for others, I have been privileged to meet lots of these people. There are others who only look at themselves and do not think of others, we are all driven by different goals. Many stand up for what they believe is right, others take financial payoffs and sell out. We all have different morals.
Some people are driven by money, material things (Watches, cars etc), whilst others just enjoy sitting on a beach relaxing, or helping others. Everyone has a gift to give, no matter how small it is. It is not about the financial aspect of life, it is about living your life and enjoying it. I will admit that I love cars, always have and always will, but they are just items which would be sacrificed if needed.
No matter what chapter you are currently on, it may only be the start of your life book, or you maybe nearing the end, remember that you can still make a difference. As I close this chapter, I hope that I have made a difference to the people that I have helped, there have been great times and sad times, arguments and different opinions, but the cause that we were all working towards was always put first, the people who we were supporting had their lives changed for the better.
I have worked hard all of my life, my father told me that at an early age: "Work hard and always ensure your family is provided for". We all make decisions which we later regret, we all make decisions based on anger or fear, this is what a human being does, self preservation and the protection of the family are always going to come top of everyone's list.
Remember that you are in control of your life, you can make changes, no matter how small, we learn lessons every day, sometimes from the people that we least expect it from, people enter our lives that have a massive impact on us, some influence us in ways which are not good for us, but we live and learn and move on.
Do not be afraid of failure, we all enter situations where we do not feel comfortable, situations which are not what we thought they would be, this is not necessary a failure, it is a lesson that we learn from. Sometimes things are not as they seem at the time, and later we realise the mistake we made, but we move on and continue writing chapters.
If you are considering closing your current chapter of life, take the time to think about why you are closing it and what the new chapter is going to be. If you have been forced to close the chapter because of health or financial issues, keep moving forward, utilise your family, friends and organisations who can help you. You are never alone, there is always someone who will help you.
I hope that as this chapter closes, there will be new experiences for me, new adventures as I approach my 50th year on this planet. For everyone that I have worked with, who has supported me and helped me, I thank you all and wish you well on your adventures, I hope to still be part of many of those adventures and that you will always remember me.
I know where I want to be, I know what I want to do and I needed to close this chapter in order for me to move forward, it is time to realise that we are all time limited, we do not know what that time will be, how long we have, so we must all take a step back, analyse our life choices, change what is needed to be changed and proceed forwards. Today starts a new chapter entitled 'Family comes first - take the time', let us see how it gets written.