Hey there,

I just turned 32 (on October 7th).

These 32 years have been both a blessing and an adventure.

So with another year of life ahead of me, I figured that this would be a great time to share one of my personal philosophies with you.

For today’s letter, let’s break down this philosophy so that it can crystallize in your mind.

This life approach will give you a great deal of peace, because it helps you connect the dots between the past and the future.

It is amazing the burdens we can bear when we know we are on the right track. You don’t have to worry about the challenges of the present, because you can clearly see where you are headed.

You can just focus on putting one step in front of the other.

Connecting The Dots

Let’s dig a little bit deeper into what he is saying here…

Your past, consisting of life events and knowledge, determines your trajectory. By reflecting on it, you better understand the path you're on.

The path you are on will lead you to the future. The future is built upon the past.

When you're aware of your trajectory, you can make informed predictions. As these are shaped by past events, their accuracy increases over time. These insights then guide your forthcoming actions.

I’m a visual person, so here are some sketches to help convey the point here.

Imagine your past and your present as two dots floating in space:

Now, draw a line connecting your past and your present.

Now, you understand the trajectory that you are on.

Your “path“.

Visualize the path you are on as a line cutting through the sky, leading you towards the future.

But what if you just disregard the past? What if you never consider where you are headed?

Well, this one is easy to draw:

Yep, if you don’t know where you are headed, then you are floating aimlessly in space, uncertain of where you have been and most importantly, where you are headed.

In summary…

Learn from the lessons of the past. This gives you perspective and an understanding of where you stand between the past and the future. If you know where you stand, you can begin taking short, plodding steps in the right direction.

Looking back on the last 32 years of my life, I see a crisp trajectory that is headed in the right direction.

I know that I am on the right path, and that makes every step that I take just a little bit easier.

Safe travels,

Cliff