Mortality. Finiteness. Impermanence.
That is the very essence of the game called life in which we are all a part of.
It will not last forever — at least, our time in it, playing it.
One day it will end — perhaps sometime soon for some, maybe a time far-off for others, or sometime in-between for the rest of us.
My point is: you will never know when it will truly end, when you will discover that it’s finally game over.
We are in the game of survival, whether we like it or not.
What does it mean to play this game?
Well, you were already playing it from the moment you were conceived up to today.
Preserving your life, its time limit and experiences against anything, anyone, any place that would shrink them, especially in an untimely way.
Clinging to life.
Probably maximizing your odds of surviving by lessening the risk factors that may have been or are still present in your life:
Drug addiction, dangerous corners, gluttony, you name it.
In this world, you can encounter some lethal hazard or two purely by chance, fall to a few addictive vices that’d kill you slowly if you continued them or even cross paths with a dangerous predator that could turn your life upside down in a flash — and I’m not just talking about reptiles there.
This particular game we’re in isn’t without risk, its own mix of traps or fair share of dangers — harrowing as that may sound.
It isn’t in any way false to say that you could lose your life in an instant, whether you see it coming or not.
Knowing that, life seems pretty bleak…
But…
This game isn’t as bleak as it can seem at times.
It is, without a doubt, rich in joys, goodwill and aid as well, if not more — the very stuff that makes it worthwhile to play, even for a day.
Just as your life can turn upside-down in an instant, so too, can your life improve over the course of your lifetime in this game.
…and only by playing it out can you guarantee yourself a chance at turning it back around, which means that even though your life could very well have fallen into the depths of despair, you can still discover or carve a path of your own to triumph over your personal tragedy by prolonging your time in the game, just by surviving as long as you possibly can to seize an opportunity that presents itself along the way.
You could fail at every other aspect of life’s games — the games of power, fulfillment and connection, to name a few — and still come out a winner simply by surviving in this oft-harsh world, for that is the very nature of the human experience:
Perseverance.
Through hardship, unfairness, abuse…hell.
No one experiences this game in its entirety and length exactly the way you already have and are going to, but that does not mean you won’t be able to find your way as you survive whatever you might encounter along your journey.
Who knows, you may even find yourself an ally or two along the way — someone to rely on and entrust your back to.
The most important thing is to not give up, never give up, even in the face of insurmountable odds.
So look up.
See the people, the characters who inspire you to continue the game. Those you wish to emulate. They need not even be “real.”
They need simply exist for the people that need them by seeing them, even from a distance, through a screen, or from a page, with awe or admiration.
Maybe even for people like you as you try to survive amidst your struggle, for they provide that glimmering speck of light that human beings cling to when surrounded by total darkness —
Hope.
So don’t give up.
That is pretty much the only principle you’d need to break in order to lose this game, and if you think about it, it’s easy enough.
As long as you follow it, hope will never leave your side, even if she may become invisible at times.
She’ll be right there, by your side, accompanying you to the very end.
Never give up, survive, win.
…then, gradually, one day when you find that “oasis” in the desert, look back for a moment.
Glance at the trials you’ve faced and come out of, alive.
See the limits you’ve surpassed.
Marvel…
Then turn back around…ready for anything.
Because you’ll know the secret to the game of survival.
Don’t give up.
Afterword
My friend,
How’s it going? Is the season faring you well? Did the day pass you by, or is it just starting?
…you’ve come quite a ways, haven’t you?
Just take a look at the multiple yous behind you — were you the same you were merely a year ago?
Your new path is only just beginning with adventures awaiting you in their due time.
Stay warm and safe, and I’ll see you along the way.
My warmest regards,
J.D.
