It’s safe to assume that the vast majority of you played a game of some sorts at least once. Computer, console, smartphone, it doesn’t matter. Or practiced a sport, tried to develop a certain skill or learn a craft.

Remember when you tried for the first time. Remember how bad you were. Then, if you kept at it, you became kind of good. As you progressed through the levels of this game, even though the difficulty increased, so did you skill. A beginner watching would find this as magic almost. They are unable to exhibit the same level of mastery as you.

The point of all this, you ask?

Well, it’s the same way for everything in life. Everything!

There are levels and levels. There are people out there who are capable of things you can’t even imagine. Who are so good at what they do that some people will think of them as being more than human.

And the best thing about all this? It’s all learned. It’s all something to be developed through work, through being willing to follow certain rules, to copy those who can.

You can pretty much learn everything. From self-confidence to painting, writing, singing. It’s all a skill. Of course, some don’t agree, because they’re lazy and it’s easier to think of talent as this innate ability. Makes sitting on the couch doing nothing feel like something.

The reality of the world is this: you can do anything you want, as long as you believe you can, as long as you understand that it’s a process, and that it takes time and effort. If you are willing to do all that, then you’ll progress through one level after another.

It’s all rather simple. Terribly so. But it’s far from being easy.

I am sure that those of you who played computer games know the kind of frustration that one encounters when they’re not good enough to finish a certain level. How many tries it takes. How many hours of repetition. How, in the end, it happens when they least expect it to.

This is life.

And this makes it beautiful and frightening at the same time.