“In the middle of the road of my life, I awoke in a dark wood where the true way was wholly lost.”-- Dante Alighieri, “Commedia”

Certainly, you’ve heard of the stereotypical midlife crisis. The new sports car. The traveling. The bucket list. But that “crisis” begins well before you are in your 40s, 50s, 60s, (and for some) 70s.

The nice house, the good job, prestige, a family, even a swelling bank account. These are common pursuits of most, as we begin our adult chapter of our life.

Graphic: Jean-Pierre Weill, The Well of Being 

"I'm running late."

This is the slogan of our times.

You don't walk or amble late. You run. And it's not a joyous run. It's a constant, frenetic pursuit of some notion of being "caught up." But caught up to what?  

The world is changing ... rather ... accelerating at a speed and pace that we have never experienced before. Our lives are defined by strains against the clock, technology, politics, and our sense of genuine health and well-being. The notion of predictability and a relaxed confidence in the larger forces of the world feel like quaint notions of a slower time romanticized in history books and our imaginations. 

Think of a class you’ve wanted to take. Tuition is paid, supplies purchased. You enter the room on the first day. The professor hands out a syllabus listing everything you need to do to earn an "A" in the class. The measurements of success are defined for you.

Predictable.