All right. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get on to the subject of today’s post. Today I want to share with you something that might explain my outlook on life. Perhaps you will find it useful; inspiring, even.
There is a trilogy I have loved since I was little called His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman. The first book is titled The Golden Compass, the second is The Subtle Knife, and the third is The Amber Spyglass. I cannot recommend these books enough—especially if you have an interest in parallel universes, quantum physics, religion, and the psychological development of children, all wrapped up in a positively epic fantasy—but I want to talk about something specific.
In the third book, it is revealed that everyone in the trilogy’s universe goes to a strange, barren world after they die. This world is dull and lifeless, and is guarded by horrible shrieking harpies. (If you’re familiar with Greek/Roman mythology, you’ll know that a harpy is a foul creature that is half bird and half woman.) There is no possible escape, and until Lyra (the heroine of the trilogy) intervenes, the inhabitants of this universe are forced to stay in the desolate afterworld forever.
Long story short, eventually the harpies are swayed by Lyra and her companions, and a new law is enacted: when you die, you go to the harpies’ world, but if you share your life story, and the harpies find it suitably interesting, they will let you leave.
Think about this for a moment.
What if that’s what happens to us? I’m not saying that when we die, we must tell our life stories to strange bird-ladies or otherwise we spend eternity wishing we were dead. But what if you chose to live that way? What if every decision was based on “what kind of interesting story will this make?”
Examine your life for a second. What is today’s story? “Today I woke up, ate cereal, went to work in my office, came home, and watched TV until I fell asleep.”
News flash: if I were a harpy, I wouldn’t let you pass. Heck, I probably wouldn’t even let you finish.
What if we made an honest effort to lead the most interesting, strange, unique, adventurous lives possible? What if we lived as if we had to tell our stories to those harpies or they wouldn’t let us go free?
Well, boo, that is how I have been living my life lately. I make decisions based with the following criteria in mind: “what kind of story will this decision create?”
Sometimes I slip. Sometimes I do boring things, or things I’ve already done. Sometimes I opt for the less challenging (and usually less adventurous) option. But I’m getting better with practice. Already, my life has led to some pretty remarkable places, and if I keep this up, I know I will have an awesome story to tell.
What will you tell the harpies? If you died now, would your story set you free?
Love that series. Love this post.
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