Tag Archives for " meaning of life "

Finding meaning in the Game of Life (part2) Leveling Up

shiny math rocks!

the more you play, the easier it gets

    “Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action”
    -Benjamin Disraeli, former British prime minister.

I’m not saying that moving forward is easy. If you are depressed with no energy and no motivation, it is really hard. It is hard to move, hard to think, hard to care. But doing the hard thing is the only way that we gain experience points. So we have to keep playing in order to level up in the game of life. One small battle at a time.

One small battle at a time is your level 1 pokemon using tackle over and over again. It’s killing the low level rats in the sewers until you have grown enough to take on the giant spiders. Leveling up takes time and we all have to be patient with ourselves when we know we aren’t strong enough to beat the boss monsters of life.

Life works as a marathon, not a short sprint. Life is not a speed run to the finish. You need some time to try new things, experiment, and test out what works for you.

Having a life means being in the game of life. The only way you can enjoy life is to play the game as an active participant.

We have to keep fighting, we continue to get up every morning until we find something to get up for. We practice listening to our intuition and our desires until we find that wonderful thing that brings us joy. Once we find that, life gets a little better.

Then, you start taking care of yourself just a little bit more. You start planning for a future so you can make even more exciting things happen. You plan for excitement and you actively seek it out. Then things get a little more easier because you have a little bit more energy.

Planning for excitement is how you plan for a life that you want.

Once you know what you want and start working towards that, other people will know you for who you truly are. They will understand you because of what you want, then suddenly you have a support system of people like you and life feels a little easier. People will see you for what you are passionate about. The ones who understand, will become your friends and found family. You now have an adventuring party that will be there for you.

As, you slowly move forward, day by day, you start to take a little more care of yourself. You realize that life gets easier because you have slowing been gaining more and more experience points.
You have gotten better at life, and so life becomes that much better.

You have been leveling up this whole time!

You find out that creating a life for yourself is actually worth it. Now that you are a little better at life, you realize that sometimes you want to get up in the morning. You want to plan for your future. You want to build better relationships with friends and loved ones.

You find out that you actually do have energy to move forward because there is so much stuff that you want to do!

The game of life is the ultimate challenge

“link a hard task to something you care about. Continue asking questions that start with why.
Why are you doing this?”

- Charless Duhigg, Smarter, Faster, Better

Some people enjoy the game of life because they know it is a challenge, just like any game, we face challenges, solve problems, and create happiness for people who ask us for help by giving us quests.

Ignoring the challenges of life, means you aren’t a part of life. Ignoring the obstacles and challenges in your life means that you are not playing the game of life. Without being a part of the game, you will never be able to win or find meaning and happiness.

We realize that somewhere along the way that we need to take care of the hard stuff first. We face the biggest challenge that is threatening us. When we do, we see that the game of life becomes that much easier afterwords.

Taking care of the hard stuff means slaying your demons right now instead of living in fear of them constantly reappearing and attacking. Slay those demons now, so you can rest easy knowing that they won’t try to come back and bite you in the ass tomorrow. That is how you start gaining real world experience points.

Take care of the problems you have right now in order to level up. Take care of the problems now so your future self won’t be so stressed out and anxious. You’ll have a lot less to worry about and more to be excited about.

An adventurous life is building something out of your life that you can be proud of, something you can look forward too. The real adventure is creating an amazing and successful exsistance for yourself and your loved ones. Adventure is taking care of yourself so that you can survive another day. So you can continue playing the game day after day.

it's okay to make mistakes, learn from them

We make a choice to defeat our enemies in battle, and we never beat ourselves up when we think we fail. Every time we think that we did something wrong, we get back up and try again. Trying again is the best we can do because we do better the next time.

Messing up is okay. Messing up is human. Making mistakes is required in order to learn and move forward. Some people are paralyzed with fear because they don’t realize that mistakes are inevitable. They don't allow themselves to accept the fact that mistakes happen, no matter how hard you try. The trick is to get back up and try again. We have to accept that mistakes are a part of life, a part of the ongoing adventure.

When we choose not to try, we are choosing not to win.

Mistakes are the normal, natural way that we lean and grow. Without mistakes, we can’t learn. Without free will, we can’t adapt and learn from experiences. Without mistakes, we can never level up in the game of life.

Mistakes will always happen. The question is how we react to those mistakes. We can choose to learn from them, or we can choose to beat ourselves up and feel like crap. Those are the only choices we get. Choose wisely.

It is okay to loose a few battles. The goal isn’t to win right away, the goal is to get better than you were yesterday. Don’t compare yourself to others. Compare yourself to who you were yesterday. The goal is to get back up and try again. One step at a time. One change of tactics at a time.

Do a little bit better than you did the day before. Gain one more experience point than you did last time. Lose a battle or two without feeling bad or giving up. Lose because that is the best way you learn.

We learn the pattern of our enemies, and we learn the flow of battle, so that we can try again with renewed strength and a better strategy.

When we choose to lay down and stop trying is the only time we fail. We only loose if we give up. Getting back up and trying again is the difference between winning and loosing. Trying again means learning more, and learning more means leveling up.

Leveling up, growing as a person, can only happen when we accept our mistakes and allow ourselves to learn from them.

How to Find what sparks joy

Do we even know what makes us happy? Have you ever focused on what truly gets you excited about life?

A simple way to start figuring out what you truly enjoy is to answer 3 questions. The trick here is to allow yourself to feel happy about the things you love doing. We need to let ourselves feel good about creating a better world that we want to live in. We have been conditioned by society and experience that makes us feel guilty about what we truly enjoy. 

We alwys hear B.S. like "Playing games is childish," "Feeling emotions are bad" "Feeling miserable and crappy is the ony way to succeed" "Work hard and don't think for yourself" None of that crap is helpful or supportive. Those are fake rules that were made up by players who don't understant the true meaning of the game of life. So when you answer the following questions, be open to how you feel and allow your excitement, creativity, and passion to flow. 

   Question 1. If you had infinite time and money, what would you do with it? What would a day of your life look like with infinite resources? What would a whole month look like? How about an entire year? Or Five years? 

Answering this question and envisioning a future that you actually care about is how you create your goals. Create the quest lines that you need to acomplish in order to create the ideal version of your life. Take the time to think about as much detail as you can. Where are you working? Who do you work with? What projects are you excited about getting to work on? Where are you going to dinner? Where are you doing volunteer work? What type of people are you helping in your work? Who are you spending time with? What do you do on an ideal weekend or a simple day off?

   Question 2. What do your ideal relationships look like? How do you support your loved ones? How do your friends and community work together? How do people treat each other in your ideal version of the world?

I think this question is important because humans are a social species. We cannot survive in the modern world without being a part of a family or a community. When we have love, support and a sense of belonging, life gets easier. We know that someone will have our backs when we are scared. We are able to take more risks and get out of our comfort zones when we know that we have support from friends, family and collegues. 

   Question 3. What is the ideal world that you want to live in? How would you go about creating this ideal version of reality? What would you say to inspire people to help create that better world?

Creating your own world means you are in charge of your exsistance. You are the dungeon master and player in you game of life. Create a world where your character can live long and prosper. Make your own version of the game where you can thrive. You can create a better world and you can make a livng doing something you love. You are allowed to take up space in this world and make the best life you can. 

Now that you have an idea of where you want to go and what quests you want to tackle, you can start leveling up in the directions that you want to go. You probably already have an idea of what you will need to learn in order to get to where you want to go. The faster you level up, the faster you can be who you want to be. 

Write out your answers to these questions and look at them every day. Keeping it written gives you a quest log to follow so you won't get off track from what you really want. It is so easy to get distracted and take on things that aren't leading you to where you want to be. Read your answers every day, this will keep you more focused and excited to move forward. If you keep your ideal life in the front of your mind, you'll be more inclined to work toward that goal.

If you still don't have a good idea of where to start, make it simple.

If you want to be a musician, join a local band or take some more training classes. Volunteer or audition to preform with people you want to work with.  You will be in the environment you want to be in, you'll be practicing and learning more. You'll get to spend time with people who are just as passionate as you are about music. This is how you get started. Get into the community that you want to be in even if it's not a perfect fit. We have to start somewhere. Just the act of starting will begin your adventure and get you moving forward. 

If you love the outdoors, you could find a job at a national park, any groups who are working torward the same goals that you are. Volunteer to help plant trees or other work that excites you. Get yourself into the environment that will help you to move forward toward what makes you excited.

Thank You!

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Finding Meaning in the Game of Life (part 1)

shiny math rocks!
shiny math rocks!

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 happen
ed."
                ― 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!

We want to give our appreciation and support to gamers everywhere. Our mission is to inspire creativity and help everyone enjoy the best life possible.

For more dungeon master information, insight, and inspiration, please visit gamesmastery.com

Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase with no extra cost to you.