World isn't here to make you happy

I was listening to Echkart Tolle and he says “Realize that world is not here to make you happy, it is here to challenge you”.

What a simple but shocking idea. We have all grown up with ideas like money can make us happy, achievements, wealth, fame, sex, relationships and what not. Everything outside us, however if we really contemplate, these things can give us momentary pleasure, joy but not something lasting.

Nothing even close to long term happiness. Then why these things are there and why bother at all? Simply go to a deep forest and be a monk or maybe even commit suicide. As Albert Camus said ‘there is only one serious philosophical question and that is suicide’, or something on similar lines.

If we contemplate on this, and do it long enough, it seems there is a reason to all these sufferings or pain that we get into in life. That reason can’t be anything other than understand and grow out of pain.

Every game has a simple purpose, to understand the rules of the game, acquire the skill and if one can do it right, they may not only win it but enjoy the game itself fully. If one doesn’t understand the rules, or doesn’t acquire the skills there are very low chances, if any, that one would enjoy it. In fact every moment of it would be a pain. Forget about winning the game.

If we see life similarly, this is how it is. We have been given a playground, if we can only understand the rules, acquire the skills and play the game with full focus ,we would not only understand the game but can enjoy it. This is where we need to find each and everything coming in our lives as an opportunity to learn something, understand it or even acquire the skill. If we can live that way every day life itself can becoming so fulfilling.

But then how can we do that? how do we know what a situation is telling us to learn? or what wisdom we can get out of any painful or even pleasurable event in life. How does one know it?

If I think about it, then probably that’s the most important life skill we need to have. To understand what any situation is telling us. In fact the learning may be secondary, but we must have this skill to be able to investigate ourselves and how do we react on events and people in our daily lives.

If we can really wake up everyday with a simple attitude to learn and grow in this game of life, using whatever is thrown at us, good people, bad people, situations and what not. And if we are able to go to bed daily with a slight sense of understanding ourselves better today, it would be quite an amazing way to live, and I am sure highly fulfilling.

So be attentive, be reflective and let the game of life go on.