I haven't played PlayStation in a while and i don't really miss it. There's a time and place for it but it's not definitely not every day. It's an instant gratification type of thing. I get a sense of victory (or defeat) instantly. And I can always restart if shit isn't going my way.
Life isn't a video game, though. Or maybe it is -- but we don't get to hit restart and we only have one life.
Maybe I should treat life more like a game. Ultimately, in many games -- the idea is that you start out with a character and then develop as fully as possible that character in the time allotted. That's what life is. Trying to develop as fully as possible in the time allotted.
Why and when do we lose sight of that? Eventually, the doldrums of the world take over and we get stuck in a routine. Forgetting who we are and what our purpose is.
But we have to get back to our ikigai. It's the only true path.
Does this activity get me closer to becoming my true self or does it take me further away? That should be the basis of all decision making.
It's really that simple. But simple isn't easy. And human beings like easy. It's probably against our nature to develop ourselves -- yet it's the only way. People prefer comfort but comfort doesn't lead to fulfillment.
Fulfillment comes from hard work and conscious effort. Day in and day out. With no promise that we'll ever actually self-actualize. But we have to trust the process and get as far as we can.
I've read that each person is born with at least one "obstacle" to overcome. I like to point to the 7 Deadly Sins as an example. You're born wit, say, "gluttony." If you're able to overcome this, your life becomes easy. If you fail to master that which you were born to overcome you eventually die. In your next life, not only will you have to overcome "gluttony" but now you also have to overcome "lust." If you are able to overcome both, your life will become easy. If not, you start over with even more burdens.
Examine our obstacles and take strides to overcome. It may be painful to admit our weaknesses, but only by acknowledging them are we are able to move past.
Personal development needs to be the goal of every individual. No matter our external circumstances we can always improve ourselves. Don't let the world get in the way of self-actualization. Better yourself -- better the world. But we must work on ourselves first. It's the only way. It starts at home.
