Contrary to the cultural wisdom of the past centuries, modern life never follows a rigid, predictable trajectory; the transitions and “lifequakes” Bruce discusses in his book do not happen at our convenience. What’s more, Bruce’s exhaustive analysis of the hundreds of life stories contained within “Life Is The Story You Tell Yourself” revealed that almost exactly half of our important transitions are chosen and half are environmental. These are important to remember when we reflect on our agency and life purpose in the face of “lifequakes,” but most important is the book’s thesis itself: that transitions themselves are the reason for living: the opportunities for us to emerge as the heroes of our life stories, to create meaning, and to shape our destinies.