The Plot

At a certain point in your life, have you realized to stop walking on the path that you are promenading and start looking up towards what is ahead on the road you are trekking? Most of us enjoy the moment and cease to think about the future. When the moment feels good, we always keep that momentum. However, is that momentum driving you to the direction where you want to be or you are letting the bliss of the moment take you wherever come what may? Do you want to be in control or let the moment control you?

Today, I come across an article about 'screenwriting'. It discusses the basic 'how to do's' along with some examples on how to write a story following an outline. I could be politically wrong defining screenwriting as story writing  similar to book writing that is carried out in a motion-picture. Anyway, my point here is not to be a screenwriter but the structure in screen writing described in the article is applicable to real life. If I author my book, this will be the reference of my story.

Following the basic outline from the article, I use my own story to complete the character (written in blue)  and  I come up with this:

Situation:    While building the business and keeping a healthy and happy relationship,
Character:    I
Objective:    want to achieve financial freedom while keeping a  harmonious and loving                                             relationship with my partner. However,  
Opponent:   pride, ego and fear always interfere that sometimes
Disaster:     the fear of failure and financial insecurity push me to be aggressive and                                               innovative. Other times, the frustration keeps me from moving forward. In the    
                    process, I  redefine pride and ego by humility and self-discovery.

Above is the backbone of my story.  The drama happening within the story follows a sequel of rise and fall, and the subsequent course of events become the soul of the story. 

The article narrates two phases: rising phases and falling phases. The rising phases include: goal, conflict and disaster. The falling phases are: reaction, dilemma,decision. Thoughtfully, I elaborated:



Goal:          Achieve financial freedom; enjoy a healthy and loving relationship; and preserve
                   peace of mind and happiness
Conflict:     Learning the game of business through research, experiment, risk  and social organization
Reaction:    Fear of risk, disappointment; failure;  impatience to achieve it sooner and
                   becoming hopeless after several attempts
Dilemma:    Should I quit and settle to what is financially convenient working for a boss,
                   compromise time being with the spouse and still be uncertain of the future?

                                                                       OR                                                                                                                     
                   Don't give up, keep going and learn in the process. Work with the spouse, dream              
                   together, encourage each other and be able to spend more time together. The                      
                   future is uncertain but taking  a noble risk leads to self-discovery and the                            
                   potential of becoming great. The best part is knowing that I am not alone in this                
                    journey.                       

Decision:    To make the  next 2.5 years in New York the most noble life changing event.

After writing down the situation, objective and conflict of my story, I realized what I want. I know that it is possible to achieve the goal and I already made my decision on how to to deal with the dilemma of the conflict. The most important task now is to face the conflict with a positive attitude. Writing these down help me understand the crisis  clearly and more than it is motivating, it is also therapeutic. This journal will remind me to take control of life when problems start to take over me.

If my writing makes sense, I recommend anyone to do the same and write his own story line and work on a day to day journal.