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Who’s game are you playing?
I hope it’s your own. I hope your actions, energy, and attention are directed towards ends you care about. If they’re not, I hope you recognize it. And I hope you have a plan.
Dreams don’t come true by accident.
If you don’t have a vision for your future - if you’re not sure what you want in life - that’s okay. But at least make time to think, explore, and experiment. Because you won’t learn much sitting on your hands.
As you engage with the world, be honest with yourself. Feynman said, “The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool.”
Between social media, politics, and personal relationships, it’s never been harder to think clearly. External forces are at work 24/7 to co-opt your thinking. Be careful! Allowing social pressures and expectations to dictate your life is the road to misery.
In his book Walden (1854), Thoreau wrote, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." It’s sad this rings true in 2024.
Life is hard. Even if you manage to figure out what you want, and learn self-honesty, and learn to think independently, you’re only halfway there... You still need to acquire skills, knowledge, and relationships to go places.
I guess patience and humility are virtues for a reason.
From your POV life might look like a single-player game, but you spawn into a multiplayer arena. So, once you figure out what you want in life, work hard to find like-minded collaborators. You’ll benefit from their wins (and vice versa).
Sometimes “playing your own game” isn’t as straightforward as it seems. Dave Chapelle once said, “The trick to life is this: you have to be wise enough to know when you’re living in your dream, and humble enough to accept when you’re in someone else’s."
Avoid comparisons at all costs.
It’s human nature to compare. But when you consider the fact that every person has a different starting point, was provided different opportunities, and holds different values and priorities, you realize how stupid it is to compare.
“The only real test of intelligence is if you get what you want out of life,” said Naval.
Play your own game.
