Finding Meaning in the Game of Life (part 1)
How do we find the the meaning of life? Why do we spend so much time wondering what to do and how to live? Why is this question so hard for people to answer? When I found the answer, it was a lot simpler than expected.
Feeling empty and pointless sucks. Feeling useless and tired is no way to live. Fighting depression and fighting the urge to give up is the worst.
Being depressed means using up all of your spell slots before you even get up in the morning. You have no energy to take care of life. No energy and no motivation puts you in a bad place. Once you are in that place, you feel more and more worthless and empty.
So what is the point?
Why are we here? Why are we playing the game of life?
How do we find meaning when we feel like nothing matters?
“There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.
There is another theory which states that this has already happened."
― Douglas Adams, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
The meaning of life is to find what makes you happy. Find what ignites your passion and energizes your soul. Excitement is the meaning. If you feel like nothing matters, then you are probably not doing anything that excites you.
“What is the opposite of happiness? Sadness? no. Just as love and hate are two sides of the same coin, so are happiness and sadness. Crying out of happiness is a perfect illustration of this. The opposite of love is indifference, and the opposite of happiness is -- here's the clincher – Boredom.”
-Tim Ferriss, The 4-hour Work Week
The opposite of happiness is boredom. That is why Indifference and boredom make you more lazy and uncaring. Excitement is the opposite of boredom, which is why I beleive that finding happiness is the meaning of life.
When you find a part of life that you love, and you embrace it, you will never be bored again.
life is an open world game
The game of life is and open world, sandbox adventure story where we have the freedom and the power to choose what quests to go on, and what stories to tell. Life is the ultimate rpg where we get to create the life of our main characters, ourselves. We choose how our story will play out.
Life is a free-form storytelling role-playing game. Therefore, We have to be able to tell our own story.
If life was a linear, railroaded game we would never be able to choose or create anything.
The meaning is being able to create your own adventure. The meaning is finding something that excites you enough to keep you moving forward. Something that makes you, and only you truly happy. It doesn’t matter how crazy or outlandish your wants are as long as you choose something that make you happy.
The key is to find or create your own goal and focus your energy into it.
Embracing your happiness means that you will always be a part of the adventure of life.
We usually feel like life is satisfying or boring. We feel like life never gives us what we want in order to be happy. The trick is to stop waiting for life to happen because it never will. life only happens when you join the game. Life happens when you actively choose to play the game and become part of the adventure.
When we feel like nothing matters, we have to be able to find or create something that matters to us.
The meaning you are looking for doesn’t have to be perfect or flawless, but it should feel right for your ideal version of the life that you want. You can always change your goals and your meanings along the way.
"Everybody arrives on this planet with uniqe desires, gifts, and talents and as you journey through life, your job is to discover what yours are. to nurture them and to bloom into the most authentic, gleeful and badassiest version of yourself."-Jen Sincero You are a Badass At Making Money
Finding the meaning of life is as simple as understanding what you enjoy, and then creating a life around that enjoyment. As long as we aren’t harming ourselves or others, we have the freedom to create a joyful life.
It's okay to keep it simple
If the idea of finding happiness and excitement seems too overwhelming it is totally okay to keep your meaning simple.
Creating an entire life can feel daunting and way too much work. I know it did for me for most of my life.
After the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy came out, I knew in my heart that Peter Jackson would eventually make a Hobbit movie. For years, seeing the new hobbit movie was my reason to keep going. That is the simple thing that I was able to latch onto. Because real life was too big and scary.
By the time those movies did come out, I was ultimately disappointed. I had very high expectations and I build up that excitement in my mind for years. It wasn’t the experience that I wanted, but by that time I had found other reasons to keep going. The point is that I kept living and moving forward. I kept going simply for a movie that I was excited about.
Your reason to keep going could be something as simple as waiting to see the new Dune movie coming out in 2021. The reason you get up in the morning might be as simple as taking care of someone you love, including yourself.
“Find a place where there is joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.”
-Joseph Campbell. The Power of Myth
Finding your joy could be playing that new d&d character that you just created. Or a new cosplay that you want to try out. Find your meaning by connecting to some cool people you meet at the next convention.
Find what you are passionate about. It could be the next book in your favorite series or the next episode of your favorite show.
Your reason to get up in the morning could be living another day so that you will be one day closer to the next concert you want to go to, or another day closer to the next video game release that you are excited about.
You need a reason to get out of bed. So why not make it simple? You need to embrace something you enjoy to push yourself into getting your pants on every day.
It is absolutely and totally okay for your reason to be simple. Even if it is just getting coffee with a friend. Allow that coffee date to move you forward one more day.
Finishing that Game of Thrones book series can totally be why you get through another day.
Choose your own adventure
The question is not why are we here. The question we should be asking is “What gets me excited?” This answer is different for each and every one of us. Only we can answer that for ourselves.
The meaning of life is finding happiness. We should allow ourselves to be happy first and as often as we can. Choosing to be happy creates a happy life.
The question could also be “What makes me happy, and how am I going to fight for that happiness everyday?” Fighting for what makes you happy is how you determine your story line.
Fighting for what makes you happy is the main quest of your life. Fighting for what makes you happy is when the adventure comes. Fighting for what makes you happy is the journey that we all must seek for ourselves. Then the adventure itself becomes the meaning.
There are as many meanings to life as you choose to give it. We have ton
“You were born with an inner guidance system that tells you when you are on or off purpose by the amount of joy you are experiencing. The things that bring you the greatest joy are in alignment with your purpose.”
-Jack Canfield, The Success Principles and co creator of
Chicken Soup for the Soul
The meaning in this game of life is to learn and grow. The more you learn, the more things you can find to get excited about. The more you learn and grow, the more you are leveled up and can handle more challenges within the game of life.
You gain more experience, the more time you spend learning. That is your ongoing quest. When you get better, life gets easier to handle.
The meaning of life is the challenge of surviving another day. The meaning of life is simply to live for a lifetime. the meaning is to stand up and tell life that you can beat it’s game. Living life is the adventure, living life gives us the excitement that we crave.
And when we are sad or scared, we fight for our lives to create even more happiness. We fight for tomorrow because we know for a fact that tomorrow has even more happiness waiting for us.
Choose happiness instead of despair. Choose excitement instead of boredom. This is why we have free will, so we can choose a life that we want.
Explore the idea of free will. We get the gift of choice.
Without choice, we can’t choose joy.
We wouldn’t be able to forge our own paths.
-Joeseph Campbell
do what makes you happy because no one else can
It doesn’t matter how talented or skilled or impressive you are about your passions. What matters is that your passions make you happy. What matters is the life you choose for yourself.
Do not allow others to make you feel bad or ashamed about any of your pleasures. As long as you aren’t harming anyone else, you can do what you will.
What matters is the thing that will inspire you to get out of bed to enjoy another day.
You do what makes you happy because you want to do it. You do it because it gives you joy.
I know I’m repeating myself, because I want to get this point across in as many ways as I can. Choose an authentic life that makes you happy.
Find something to get excited about and then go do it. It doesn’t have to be some grand plan. It doesn’t have to be a huge overwhelming goal of becoming rich and famous. Find something simple that you can do today.
Allow yourself to find your bliss in simple things. Playing with friends. Hanging out with loved ones. Going to the movies. Catching up on your favorite tv show. Do whatever you enjoy.
Create paintings, writing, or cosplay. Dance, run, exercise. Go for a peaceful hike in the forest. Smell those damn roses. Remodel your home. Plant your garden. Do these things for yourself for the sole purpose of enjoying it.
Do it because you care about your happiness. No one else has to care, this is for you. This is how you create and enjoy the life that you want.
You don’t need to be a talented artist. If you want to knit an ugly Christmas sweater, then do it! Do it simply because you want to. Make an ugly quilt if you want! No one is stopping you from doing what you love! Do what you want to simply because it's fun. You don't need any other reason to do what you enjoy.
Write your fan-fiction because it brings you happiness. Create your original characters because you like them! No one else has to like them.
This is for you! This is your life, your creation, your joy.
If all you want to do is survive another week so you can play D&D again, that’s great! You have something to look forward to! You have chosen something that makes you happy. You have chosen something to live for.
take a look at part 2 of finding meaning in the game of life
Thank You!
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