Nepal, Jan. 6 -- For much of our lives, the future functions like a silent supervisor. It tells us who we are allowed to be now, based on who we are expected to become later. We learn to tolerate discomfort, uncertainty, and delay because the future promises coherence and offers hope that things will make sense eventually.

But for some people, that promise and hope can begin to weaken. Life's circumstances can vary, and at times, it may not work out as we expect.

I remember a scene in Richard Linklater's movie 'Boyhood' that captures this experience with painful clarity. As her son prepares to leave for college, the mother suddenly breaks down; not out of sentimentality, but confusion. She lists the milestones she was told to expect: ma...