Rising tension, climax, and resolution of the conflict. These are the building blocks of a story scene. On a larger scale, they form the structure of the last act. The act where primary conflicts get resolved. The act in which the protagonist comes to the end of the journey.

I like to think of my life from the perspective of a three-act story. In particular, I like to imagine myself as both the author and the protagonist. I gain comfort from assuming that I can mold the story even as I live it. Maybe I can’t choose all the conflicts I will encounter. The ultimate author of life has that power. But, regardless of their origin, I do have a choice of how I will react to conflict.

In hindsight, the conflicts in my life story were pretty small. Perhaps even mundane, whether or not I thought of them that way. More importantly, they only occurred in certain life scenes. They didn’t continue through the entire arc of the story.

Those kinds of conflicts do exist, but I don’t have any big, major drama following me through the years. For those that do exist, I rest my mind on the existence of free will. I can decide how to react to the conflicts, both small and large. I can decide how to resolve them, or even if I want to resolve them. I may not determine the outcomes of the resolutions. But I can be active in the resolution process.

Maybe I’m being too dramatic, but my life is entering its final act. The first act centered on my rise to adulthood. That took a quarter of a century. I looked like an adult sooner. I acted like an adult sooner—sometimes. But adulthood didn’t come until I shifted to focusing on the needs of others. I was lucky. Not everyone makes that shift.

The second act of my life contained scenes common to the careers, marriages, and child rearing of many people. This act had its share of conflict and tension. It always will when you include other characters in your story. Characters with conflicting, or even complimentary, dreams and goals. This second act had its moment of despair where the protagonist (me) could have lost the war. Instead, I was lucky and, with the help of those around me, won the conflicts with my antagonists. Not everyone is so blessed.

Now comes the third act. The act where the character arcs and conflicts are all concluded. After all, this isn’t a serial. No cliffhangers in this story. But the journey to the end unwritten. I know there will be conflicts to come, although age and experience should put them in proper perspective. Hopefully.

The last thing I want is to get small and petty in this last act. I want to get large and magnanimous. I want to finish this race larger than life. Or, at least, larger than my life so far.

How can I achieve this goal? I hope to find the answer. Some of it lies in being true to who I am as an individual. It also depends on understanding my weaknesses and my strengths. You’d think, by this time, I would clearly understand who I am. But changing situations and conflicts lead to changing perceptions of myself. It can be jarring to look back on your life and see how much you changed. And not always in a positive direction. I hope to keep moving in a positive direction in this last act.

So, the road opens ahead, and I have enough freedom to determine where that road will lead. The journey takes place one day at a time, and each day I will learn something new and extraordinary. I will also remember things forgotten. Given grace, compassion, and planning, I will accomplish things that will benefit others. It’s now time to expand my horizons. It’s time to increase my contributions.

It’s time to matter more than I ever have before!