3. TIL that real LIFE IS A GAME and that there is an actual tutorial to it. (Summar...

TIL that real LIFE IS A GAME and that there is an actual tutorial to it. (Summary in the comments)

In this game of life there are two ways of living.
The shadow life and the hero’s journey. 
In prison, or in freedom. 
As a slave, or as warrior. 
What makes the difference?
Your mind. The strongest of all weapons.

Everything in real life, independent of good and evil, holds potential energy. The greater the potential energy is, the greater its potential impact becomes. Nuclear force can be used to create energy, or to destroy the world. A knife can be used for cooking or killing.

And what’s the potential of your mind? 

On the one hand, it can be used to find solutions, by learning from the past or estimating the potential future. On the other hand, you can cut yourself by suffering from your regrets of the painful past and your fears of the potential future. The only reason, why we suffer from our minds, is that we lack control over it.  

Fallacy of the mind 

Many of us got trapped into a certain fallacy: We think only because we possess a mind, that we are also in full control of it. If I gave you a bow, would you be able to hit a target? If I gave you a programming software, would you be able to program? It’s the same with our minds.

You don’t believe me? How often do we pull our swords unconsciously throughout the day? It’s called inner chatter. 
We spend most of our time in that state. 

Try holding your mind in your sheath of presence for 10 minutes. That’s called meditation. Most people won’t manage. Hell, even I don’t manage after years of training. That’s how powerful our mind is. Controlling it is no easy game. After all, we are playing the game of life with the mind as our weapon. 

Control your mind 

Because life is a game, we need to complete the tutorial to our minds, before we can begin our adventure. Our goal is to master this sword – at least to an extend were we stop cutting ourselves with regrets and fear.  Here are some tips, to get control over our minds, in this game of life.

1. Be in the present moment

If the mind is your sword, then the present moment is the sheath to that sword. But staying present is not easy. It’s a skill that we have to develop and grind with full intention. Whenever you do simple housework, or just walk from A to B, try to put your mind back into its sheath of presence. You can do that by focusing on your breath. 

Count your breath from 1 to 10 and continue this cycle. 
Every inbreath is an odd number and every outbreath is an even number. This way, your breath becomes the anchor, that holds your mind in its sheath. 

By putting our swords back into its sheath of presence, we generate energy. We can use this energy for situations, where we must pull our swords intentionally, cutting through the obstacles and challenges of life, instead of hurting ourselves and others with useless chatter. 

2. Grind the skill of meditation

Commit yourself to meditate every day from now on. At least for one minute. No matter what your life looks like, we all have 60 seconds to spare for such an important matter as controlling our minds. Simply choose a specific time and place, the night before, and start.  

3. Past and future are only imagination

Don’t regret the painful past and don’t fear the uncertain future. It’s all imagination after all. The only thing we can control, are our actions and reactions in the present moment. 

4. Laugh at this world

There are more than 100 different definitions of success, but there is only one aspect, that always stays the same: being happy. You can never be successful, if you are not happy. So instead of hoping for happiness, start enjoying this game. Don’t allow your mind, to cut through the joy of life. After all, life is too short and too precious to be wasted with useless suffering. 

5. The present moment is the only reality there is

So, embrace this game with love in your heart. 
Love every person in it, for they teach you who you are. Love every addiction in it, for those teach you who you don’t want to be. And love every obstacle in it, for those teach you who you can become. 

In this game, there are many ways to get control over your mind. Sooner or later you will find more ways that fit your character. 

Become a hero in this game

Now, after finishing the quick tutorial to your mind, it's time to create yourself anew as character,
grind your unique skill-tree of life, beat your inner enemies (procrastination, ego, anxieties, resistance), and master your mind.

Have fun grinding :))

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