The Trajectory of Your Life

Everything has a beginning and an end, and a trajectory in between.  Everything.  Conversations, dreams, vacations , careers, relationships, meals, days, games, movies, you name it.

Airplanes take off and come back down.  In between may be a smooth ascent, then leveling off, and an easy landing.  But sometimes it has a steep climb, lots of turbulence, and a bumpy descent.  Could be any combination.

Movies and books tell a story.  They might start with a long introduction, a setting of the scene, then maybe a complicated tale and a surprise ending.  Or they might start with a shocking opening scene, full of potential, then peter out and disappoint. 

A conversation might start with a question, followed by lively give and take, and lots of laughter.  Or maybe it begins with a statement, then meanders, with someone dominating with a monologue, while everyone else drifts off in their own thoughts.

You get the idea.  And life trajectories are as unique as the people who are central to them, with their ideas and plans, the settings and places, the motivations and histories and moods.

And this is also true of your life.  It began and it will end, and in between is a trajectory that’s already begun.  It has its own cast of characters, the main one being you, and it’s had a history, no doubt made up of happy scenes and sad, accomplishments and failures, plans made and realized, and others ending in disappointment.  And while it’s still happening, you may find yourself reflecting on how it’s gone so far, but the better question will always be what you want the rest of it to look like.   Imagine that every day in your past is hardened cement, but from the present moment forward, the cement is wet and still being poured, and you get to choose what it looks like.