A lot of times when people think of leveling up in life, they think of acquiring more wealth or fame but there are so many more things to live for that are pretty cool too.
Like leveling up on your own by making peace with your surroundings. If we let our mind see the world only from the perspective that some things are good and others are bad, then most surroundings on Earth become not that great. Provided your basic needs are met, then if you take a minute to stop to look and listen to what surrounds you, you can change your life experience immediately by asking yourself “What is the challenge here?”. Taking action to meet that challenge, be it for the benefit of yourself or for others is as fullfilling a sentiment as the best out. This is what the sages call being in the present, and it is a beautiful life power available to every one.
There is also the intense joy that comes with figuring out how to stop fighting with someone you love. Whether the fighting goes on for a moment, a few years, or millenia in the case of society as a whole, this is as challenging an experience as one can get. Try any method that involves solutions made up by your mind and you’re stuck because the issue is one of too much thinking and there is no way you’ll stop a thinking problem with yet more thinking. When you finally figure that out and master the art of being free of your mind, the vastness of possibilities that open up for you are greatness.
Mastering a skill to the level of making art is also pretty darn cool. There is nothing better than seeing someone master something so perfectly that they make it look easy and with that, they inspire us all to try it too.
Personally, my all time favorite way to level up and experience the wonder that life has in for us – which, by the way, no one really seems to ever talk about or I guess I never heard about when growing up so I wish someone would have told me about earlier – is experiencing the “flow”. Flow is that special experience of having life bring you things that you are thinking about. In other words, it is when the world becomes alive for you. This has happened for me during the times when I get very focused on a creative pursuit. I saw it at play most intensely when writing a book which turned out to not be a very good read, so I hear, but I think the fact that I was thinking of a way to make the world a better place – that is, I had the greater good in mind – helped make the world more willing to partner with me. It was an amazing feeling and I look forwd to it again and again.
I’m not an athlete, but I believe the flow I’ve experienced is akin to what athletes describe when they are in the moment and make the perfect play or move because somehow they know exactly where their teammates or the elements they need to manuever are to get there.
Money, cool clothing, bling, those are all fun. But the challenge there is in accumulating so the question then is when is it enough before accumulating becomes a job. The other life experiences I talked about in this article, – which are just the ones I’ve personally experienced so far, there are indeed many other types – just knowing they are there because you have seen them yourself is an incredible, beyond words reward.
Level up to that and you will never look back.
