At times it hits me just how random life is. How just one choice can change the future. The job we get that might introduce us to our best friend, the party we end up at where we meet our future spouse, that life event that changed us for the better.

Privilege wrapped in worry.
As I look at my future, and the options I have, I sometimes freeze up, not knowing which way to go. Feeling that my life will be completely different if I choose one way instead of another. How do we know which direction is the right one, when our lives can be so different depending on which job we choose, and which city we choose to live in? Having options is a privilege, yet for many of us, I believe it comes wrapped in worry. Perhaps no other generation before us have had as many options as we now have.

Instead of being fueled by this notion, I often notice myself being like a deer in headlights. Advices such as “follow your intuition” are not always helpful in this scenario. And it requires that the person in question is very much in touch with their body, mind and feelings – something that is usually not focused on as we grow into an individual being. It also requires that our gut, heart and brain are all on the same page, which is also not always the case.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BwWNtJihYHF/

Divine play.
So where do we turn? Inertia and passiveness will certainly not get us anywhere. If contemplating options is just making you confused, like me, even after hours of list-making and soul searching, I believe it is best to start playing with the randomness. Give into it. Participate. Embrace it. We can either spend time focusing on what it all means, predicting how it will turn out, or we can start to play along.

In the non-dual philosophy of yoga it is said that life is divine play. Life is random. Alan Watts said it this way; imagine that you could choose your dreams. Every night for 80 years you could go to bed and dream what ever you wanted to dream. At first you might dream of wonderful things, and then eventually you would get bored and add on a few challenges. Bit by bit you would change the scenarios, change the options and possibilities, for fun and for growth. And eventually, after several years of dreaming every night, you would dream where you are now.

I think the philosophy of play can feel comforting in a way, and I’ve found it to be very useful in my life. A small reminder to not take life so seriously. The hardships, the troubles, as well as the wonderful life-changing events, and the everyday-ness in between. We can spend our time wondering what it all means, call it random or faith or destiny, but ultimately, we have to give meaning to it ourselves.

“The more playful you are about it, the easier it all is” – Abraham Hicks

Yoga in action.
Let life be play and start creating with it. As it unfolds, randomly or not so randomly, see how you can take part. Every day we make choices, that in one way or another, changes our lives – short term or long term. And even if we don’t make a choice, then that is a choice in and of itself. It is not just in the big moments that we change the course of life, it is every minute of every day. Where we choose to direct our energy. What we choose to read. The people we say no to, and the people we say yes to. Watch it unfold as you create with it, and learn to love the process.

This is the advice I am giving myself going forward, not only focusing on the outcome or result, but the process and playfulness of life. This is yoga in action, yoga in life. Engage with life as it is, knowing that it will change anyways.

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle” – Albert Einstein.

Doing something is better than doing nothing.
Perhaps it is a reasonable reaction to freeze up, when contemplating all the choices we have. It might be a natural response to life’s enormous possibilities, and maybe it can be argued that we don’t contemplate enough. But at some point, we need to move forward. To accept that we don’t have the answers to everything, and that maybe that is OK. Life is not black and white – I do not think there are any right or wrong answers.

If following your gut-feeling is making you stuck, I advise you to just move. In any direction. Take action, take a step, even if your life plan is not all figured out. Doing something in this scenario, is better than doing nothing. Life is meant to be risky, a journey for you to grow and learn. Life might feel completely pointless at times, or you might believe in an overall plan, but for now all we know is that we ourselves can create a meaning. So let’s start by moving forward in any way we can.