the Secret of Life

The secret of life is to find joy in every moment, to be completely engaged in what you are doing in the here and now. If you are living in the past or longing for a better future, if you are afraid of living because you are afraid of dying, then how can you enjoy the gift of each moment?

Life is a game of sorts. If we are truly involved, we forget we are playing the game. It becomes all-absorbing. Watch how children lose themselves in a game. Life should always be one big adventure to explore, as it is for little children playing a game. The outcome is unknown. There is no end in sight. Winning and losing don't even come to mind.

A game would lose all of its appeal if we could say at the start who was going to win and how long it would take. It is better that we don't know the future. If you know the outcome, why bother? Knowing the future would take all the mystery out of the game.

If the game becomes too serious and only about winning and losing, then perhaps it is time to play a new game. So what is the point of playing if there are no stakes? What is the point of living if life is but a game? If nothing is real, if it is all just illusion, what is the point of continuing? Should one just cash in our chips and move to the next table? Will the next game be any different?

It is important to recognize that life is all just a game and that all that matters is how we play the game, not whether we win or lose. The most important questions are: Are you fully engaged? Are you playing the game with gusto?

If you can consciously recognize the importance of finding joy in every moment of the game, no matter what, you are well on your way to enlightenment – to be able to know that it is just a game, yet enjoy doing it.