Everyone values life differently. That’s it, good night everybody! Fine, there is more, and hopefully it’s not as obvious as I’m making it sound, but knowing me, I’m probably already pointing out something everyone already knows. Here’s the simple fact: people value life in different ways. What I want to know is how you measure your success and how you measure your satisfaction? That’s a heavy subject, isn’t it? We don’t think about it! Instead we complain, or we pat each other on the back, or we don’t think because we hate our jobs and our commutes, and our this, and our that. There’s a lot of things to hate. So when we get in the mode of wanting to just “kill” anything and everything, we do things that brings value to our life, and brings back our sanity. Hell, those things we do could even be a measurement of how great we are. Because who doesn’t want to be great?
Amongst some gamers, one indicator of their quality of life is based on Achievement points, Trophies, and scores. If they can say they can accomplish a high DPS that exceeds the average player, for some, that is an accomplishment and thus their level of happiness grows. We brag about it and put down the players who suck. It’s a sad and wonderful fact, and the reason why I never have my mic on when I play Call of Duty. I don’t need to hear someone tell me that I’m this, that and the other thing and how bad I am. I’m here to play a game and have fun, not talk about your mother, who was fabulous last night…wait…that doesn’t even sound like an insult. Anyway, others collect the best Yu Gi Oh cards, hunting the most rare and the most powerful of creatures. I see people still, playing the game and throwing down plastic, protected cards on mats, screaming out attacks and looking like they just did the most amazing thing ever. Not a bad thing, because everyone does it differently. Their life, for the time being, is better, because they kicked someone’s ass in a strategy, card game. Again, this is not the ONLY aspect of their life, it just happens to be the thing that measures their happiness in life. Makes sense doesn’t it? What brings you happiness?
I’m an emotional guy. Yeah, for those who read this blog, you know this already, because I wear my heart on my sleeve, blah, blah, blah. Wow, even I’m getting tired of that, but you do get the picture. But I realized something. My goal in life is not to be the richest man in the world, though that would be awesome and totally something I try to go for on the side, but mostly, it’s to experience life in every way, shape and form, that I feel comfortable with. I’m an experiencer! Which is great because I love experience and leveling up….wow, the lame, bad jokes don’t seem to stop. Either way, that’s how I define the accomplishments and value of my own life.
Think of it this way. I’ll go to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and I’ll stroll the exhibits, stopping at each one to absorb. I’m saving that data, and that experience is being instilled in my mind, and thus my heart. And it’s the environment, the lighting, the art, and the sounds, and it all makes an imprint. I love that feeling, and I often reflect on experiences that I’ve had. Seeing new places, trying new things, new foods, and letting my senses go wild is a way I measure my satisfaction in life. I have so much yet to find myself in. There’s mischief to be managed, there are people to meet and laugh with, there are jokes still yet to learn, and though you can argue that this is just the same as the people in the previous paragraphs, I’ll argue, there’s a fundamental difference. They are accomplishing something. They’re winning a game, they’re reaching a goal, or they’re filling a quota. I have no end game other than knowing what it’s like to live in a European country, or be backstage at a concert, or even endure the insanity of Burning Man. Does that make it any less than the others? I don’t know, I just think it’s different.
I want to know what it’s like to be famous, to be able to be really sought after to help people, and most importantly, to help others find the things that make them happy. I guess that’s my accomplishment, is to be there to encourage, to lift up, and to toot my own horn? No no no, I like being the appropriate tool for the job. This is weird, but that’s part of where I find my value in life. This is my rare card, my race won, my game conquered, it’s seeing people in my life succeed. Now, I want to be a part of it, and I know I’m not anywhere near even a small part of their success, but I’d like to think I helped a little along the way. Every good thing that happens to my friends and family, whether they take my advice or accept my help, it’s all them. It’s weird when people don’t take credit for their own awesomeness. Maybe I helped point them in a direction, but they freakin’ thought I knew what the hell I was talking about and took the path! They are the reason they succeed.
Anyway, so it’s those experiences, those emotions and feelings that come with doing something new, or something different is something that makes me feel like I’m making it somewhere. When I’m stagnant, I feel like crap, and that I am not accomplishing anything. But that’s me. What about you? What measures your quality of life? What let’s you know, you’re going in the right direction and have made it? How do you measure your happiness?
