Alan Watts: Everything in life is a game

It’s easy to turn something you enjoy into a scoreboard. A lot of people start writing because they love to read and share their ideas. And then they start focusing on views. They start thinking, “What should I do to earn more money?” That’s how many writers end up as podcasters or YouTubers. And after a while, they find themselves burnt out because they didn’t sign up for becoming a glorified views-chaser. Many of us fall for this trap. You start a business because you want freedom. Then revenue becomes the only measure of a good month. You exercise because you like feeling strong. Then every workout becomes a judgment of your body. The activity stays the same. Your relationship with it changes. The philosopher Alan Watts spent much of his career explaining Eastern philosophy to Western audiences. One of his most useful ideas was that life is closer to play than to a journey with one final destination. “This is the real secret of life: to be completely engaged with what you are doing…