Change the Ending

The Road to Happiness Essay 1 : Change the Ending

C.S. Lewis, the author of The Chronicles of Narnia, once said,

“You can’t go back and change the beginning,

but you can start where you are and change the ending.”

The more I think about it, the more I realize how true it is.

No matter how much we want to turn time back to the past,

we can’t change how it all began.

But regardless of where we stand now in the present,

if we can start from where we are now,

can’t we at least change the ending?

We often look back on our lives with hearts full of regret.

“If only I hadn’t done that back then… If only I had done that then…”

We endlessly look back upon the lives we’ve lived,

moving through today past regret after regret.

Unfortunately, we keep forgetting that tomorrow, today, too, will become the past.

Instead of turning today into another day of regret,

what if we just try to live a little better than yesterday?

Then maybe tomorrow, we’ll feel a little lighter.

So many things happen along the road we call life.

Sometimes we’re joyful, sometimes sorrowful;

sometimes we’re hopeful, sometimes dejected…

But what we must always remember is that even the darkest tunnels have an end,

where light is bound to shine.

Therefore, there is no eternal despair.

Even those hopeless moments will soon become part of the past.

So let’s not rush to call something a failure before the story has even ended.

If we start again from where we stand now,

we can absolutely change the outcome.

Let’s acknowledge the path we’ve come to walk.

The past that seemed so difficult and filled with regret makes us the people we are today.

In truth, we’ve all been walking the path of happiness, step by step.

It’s just that we don’t realize,

this path beneath our feet has been filled with happiness all along.

Because happiness doesn’t come from our circumstances,

but rather from the direction our thoughts are facing.

If I compare myself to others through a negative perspective,

my life might seem small and lacking.

But from a place of positivity,

I begin to see how dazzling my life actually is.

That being said, our thoughts should stem not from prideful comparison, but gratefulness.

Focusing on what I lack only brings sorrow.

But if I can be thankful for even the smallest thing I do have,

that alone is proof that I’m already walking the road of happiness.

Even the most minuscule thing counts.

And if I can’t think of anything,

then let me just be thankful that I can breathe on my own.

Be thankful that I can think for myself.

Be thankful that I am me.

If I just try to positively shift my mindset,

I’m sure I will find something to be thankful for.

What if I looked at my constantly dissatisfied self with a bit more warmth?

I am someone who truly deserves happiness.

I don’t want to be the one to take that right away from myself.

Would going back and changing the beginning really make me happier?

If my thoughts remain the same, the outcome will be no different.

So instead of longing to return to the past and change the beginning,

let’s start right here, where we’re standing, and change the ending.

Merely changing the way we think can be enough to change the way things end.

At the very least, I hope today ends not in regret,

but with me gently telling myself,

“You did your best, and that’s more than enough.”

And tomorrow, may I take another step forward on the path of happiness,

excited and hopeful for the day ahead.

That’s what I’m hoping for—

to be able to change my life’s outcome through happiness from where I am standing.

And once again,

I cheer myself on.

Right here on a road filled with happiness.

👉Also available in: Chinese · Korean

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© Glory Kim.
This essay is an original work by Glory Kim.
It is protected under copyright law. Reproduction, modification, or redistribution is not permitted.
However, you are welcome to share it using the original link. Thank you!

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🔖 Tags:

change the ending, happiness, regret, gratitude, mindset, hope, essay, Glory Kim, healing, self-reflection, C.S. Lewis, life choices, emotional essay, The Road to Happiness

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