The end of every year is always one of reflection for me, and this being the end of a decade, even more so. There’s a Chinese proverb that says you spend your first 25 years being born, your second 25 years learning, third producing, and fourth giving back.

…and as I’m reaching not just the end of a calendar decade but soon in age as well, here is how I find myself somewhat lining up my life’s journey with that proverb:

2000’s: learning

2010’s: building

2020’s: realizing

For some reason, using a 10 year perspective filter gives me an amazing sense of peace and gratitude for my whole journey, the successes and the struggles…the struggles, probably even more so. Through this filter, I can see the challenges I persevered through as being the blocks I built upon instead of the ones I stumbled over. I can see the disguised blessings in the opportunities missed. I can see how two decades of dots connect to get me to exactly where I am right now, and where those dots potentially will take me over the next 10 years.

What story arc can you see in the decades of your life?

Through that lens, how does your view on the emotional milestones of your journey change?

How can you use that new perspective to shape your view of your future state?