Life Is a Game. So What Level Are You On?
We are all players in this game arena, embarking on quests, trying to level up, reach the next milestone, and enjoy what the journey has to offer
If you enjoy my writing, you might want to read my free short story, Ustaz Ali, a coming-of-age tale set in an all-girl Catholic school in Amman, Jordan, in the 1980s. Grab it for free here.
Over drinks and snacks the other night with friends, we talked about the idea of “life being a game.” They shared this concept after they heard a talk with the same title on a cruise (of all places). That talk opened them up to the notion of reframing how we look at this journey we call life.
I haven't stopped thinking about this since our chat last week.
What if we change our perception of life into a game? What if we are all players in this arena we call life, embarking on quests, trying to level up, reach the next milestone, and enjoy what the journey has to offer?
Looking at life this way is a new concept I want to fully embrace. It actually reinvigorates me.
What else is out there?
What other quests do I need to take on?
How can I improve?
What other mental dragons do I need to slay?
The exciting thing about being in a game is that you don’t quit when you lose a round; you learn the pattern and try again.
What if failure in life works the same way? A quest, not a verdict.
I’m not alone in this obsession with embracing life as a game. Many thinkers, writers, and researchers have expressed similar ideas.
Best-selling author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, said:
Life is the game that must be played. Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor.
Joseph Campbell, the OG, discussed the “hero’s journey,” which is essentially the original storyline of leveling up: you face a challenge, you grow, and you return changed.
In Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning (one of my favorite books), he writes about how humans are “self-transcending,” meaning we’re wired to keep reaching for meaning beyond the moment we’re in.
Meanwhile, Creator Amanda Goetz, author of Toxic Grit, has a newsletter called “Life is a Game.” See, we creators are onto something here.
There’s always a next level.
There is always something new to learn,
Something to recover from,
Something to create.
Will I make it to the end triumphant, or is this game infinite?
Do we actually win in this game of life?
Or is showing up, learning, and playing it fully the real victory?
American poet Mary Oliver’s line comes to mind:
“What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
It doesn’t ask how you’ll win. It asks what you’ll do. It’s an invitation to participate.
Maybe the goal isn’t to win at all, but to keep playing with curiosity, courage, and joy.
Because when you strip everything else away, that’s what makes the game worth playing, not rushing to the end, but deciding to keep going.
Are you up for playing this game with me?
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I'd love to discuss this with you today. The next book I am in the process of writing is about how life is like a giant "cosmic drama" and if that is true, then applying the principles of scriptwriting in your life creates the drama you were meant to participate it. Some joseph Campbell, some application from my own work as a scriptwriters, lots of metaphorical insights.
Love this reframe. Thinking in levels and quests turns failure into data, not judgment. It’s a simple way to stay curious about what’s next instead of gripping the path too tightly.