Imagine life is like a video game. You are the player, holding the controller, but the game is tricky – part of the challenge is that you forget you’re the one playing. You think you are the character on the screen, and you spend a lot of time trying to figure out what you’re supposed to do.

The game doesn’t tell you everything at once. Instead, it gives you clues – friends you meet, tough moments, exciting opportunities, and even problems that make you feel stuck. All of these are hints about what you’re here to do.

The goal? To learn from each experience until you figure out your mission – the reason your character is in the game.

Now, here’s the thing: you can play the game two different ways.

The first way is to just… play around. You walk through the game, but you’re not really paying attention. You meet characters, do random quests, but nothing feels connected. Sometimes you feel happy, sometimes sad, but it all feels temporary. One day the game ends, and you might wonder, Why did I even play?

The second way is different. You realize there’s a mission – something important your character is meant to do. You start paying attention to clues, learning special skills, and finding hidden powers to help you. You start to understand the game.

I’ve been playing this game for a long time. I spent years trying to figure out what my character was meant to do. Eventually, I realized my mission was about communicating and creating strategies – two things I kept coming back to over and over. Whenever I did them, I felt happy, like I was unlocking new levels.

But for a long time, I thought I was the character – not the player holding the controller. I believed every problem, mistake, or tough moment meant something about me. But when I realized I was the one playing, everything changed.

I started seeing hard moments in life like the tough levels in a game – they weren’t there to stop me. They were there to make me better.

The Game of Life - Remembering You Are the Player

Here’s what I learned about my mission:

I believe I’m here to build communities – places where people help and support each other. I think when people work together, everyone grows stronger. But in today’s world, a lot of people feel alone, even when we’re surrounded by millions of others. I think deep down, we all want to feel connected – but we’ve forgotten how to build those connections.

That’s my mission – to create ways for people to feel like they belong and know they can create their own world.

I believe that part of the meaning of life is realizing that you are more than just your character. You are something bigger – a soul, or consciousness, guiding the character you play. Knowing this is like finding the biggest secret in the game. It changes everything.

If you’re still reading this, I believe you’re already on your way to figuring it out, too.

So what’s next?

The Game of Life - Remembering You Are the Player

Step 1: Find Your “Why”

Your “why” is like the map in the game. It shows you where to go when you feel lost.

Your “why” can’t be small. It has to be something huge – something that feels almost impossible to finish in one lifetime.

When you find your “why,” it’s like having a flashlight in a dark cave. Even if things get tough, you know which way to go.

For me, my “why” is this:

I want to live in a world where people are kind, where they know their voices matter, and they believe they can create their own reality.

Whenever I feel stuck or upset, I ask myself: Does this help my mission? If it doesn’t, I let it go and focus on something that does.

When you find your “why,” it’s like having a flashlight in a dark cave. Even if things get tough, you know which way to go.

The Game of Life - Remembering You Are the Player

Step 2: Remember – You Are the Player, Not the Character

Realizing this is like waking up in the middle of the game. Suddenly, you see things clearly. You stop feeling scared of every problem, and you start seeing challenges as chances to grow stronger.

It’s like Alice in Wonderland – at first, nothing makes sense. But once you understand the game, everything does make sense.

The truth is, a lot of the people running the world haven’t figured out their mission. They’re still playing as if they are the character. They lead from a place of hurt and fear, and sometimes that can make the game feel harder for everyone else.

But your job isn’t to fix their game – it’s to focus on yours.

So next time life feels confusing, remember – you’re holding the controller. Keep looking for clues, and trust that you’re exactly where you need to be.

Sean A. Russell

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