In our youth, we tend to imagine that our life will be a gradual, sometimes rugged climb to success, followed by a slow, pleasant descent that comes with retirement and aging. Such expectations are rarely met.
Rather, our life often resembles a mountain range, with many peaks and valleys, some of which are beyond our control. Marriage, the birth of children and grandchildren and success in our business or profession are among the high points while failed relationships, health problems and the death of close friends or family members trigger some of the lows.
While our personal responsibility for the valleys of our life may be limited, we are primarily in charge of the ascents, sometimes with the assistance of others (friends, family, professionals). Understanding that life is characterized by a series of highs and lows helps us anticipate the setbacks and reinforces the importance of developing supportive relationships early in life.
