Gameful Living

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Children's Games

you really can’t disprove that you’re an alien / creature / otherwordly being who opted into this life of yours as a sort of pleasant or interesting experience, maybe as a game.

so, what to do? who to be?

if only there were universal answers to those questions.

that would sure make things easy.

“just do what they did.”

“follow the script.”

and sometimes, in limited areas, for limited aims, that can work out.

but for the grander questions of what to do and who to be in this life, there is no script to follow, because there is no other you.

the answer unfolds one day, one hour, one moment at a time.

it’s intensely personal.

even the people who know you best can’t decide for you, because they don’t own the outcomes or the consequences.

it’s all uniquely yours.

every resource, every opportunity, every decision point belongs to you.

when something feels unclear, consider: if this is a game, what’s the next move?

is your stamina low, and you need to rest?

are you under-resourced, and you need to gather skills or items or allies?

do you lack a quest, and you need to look around and see what opportunities are available?

there’s no game where the next move is to quit forever or delay the next move indefinitely.

there’s a move to make, even in the most perilous circumstances, even in the aftermath of the most devastating defeat.

there’s usually a save point right before a boss battle, and an awesome reward right after.

this perspective might be a helpful resource: an offer to zoom out from this moment and adopt a gameful mindset.

assess the current state of your character, take a breath or two, live gamefully.

and know that you’re not alone.