Around midnight one foggy evening, I stood on the edge of a bluff overlooking the Columbia River far below and tried to connect with a higher power. Cloud covered the gorge and levelled itself so it seemed as though I could step out and walk upon its surface. My life also lay before me like a vast journey of undulating ups and downs—there would be some joy, yes, but also lots of heartache. Did I even want to play the game?

“Why am I here? What’s the purpose of life anyway?” I whispered intently over the sea of gray.

We all ask these age-old, mind-niggling questions at some point in our lives. It was at this time I began a personal search for those elusive answers.

This is the opening three paragraphs of the soon to be released book, The Celestial Proposal. It was also the start of a long journey of discovery, a grand adventure in playing the game we are all participating in, the game of life. Isn’t if strange how there are manuals for all the consumer products we buy and rules for every sport, but no basic instruction booklet for living our lives? We want the benefits of our possessions and we want to win at our games, why then don’t we take life more seriously?

It seems to me, we in the western world have everything we need to live well, but we don’t have a reason to live. How sad. No wonder Gen X finds life rather meaningless. If heaven is our goal, if enlightenment is the highest plane, if nirvana beckons, well then let’s get serious and chase after it! I mean we are all going to have to die some time.

So isn’t it just common sense to try to figure out the rules to the game of life so we can merge into that tunnel of white light and shoot through to the next level? And surely if we knew the rules we could enjoy the game and maybe even excel in playing it! That’s our quest.

I can’t be the only one thinking these kind of things and wisdom is given in such unique and personal ways. What’s your reason to play the Game of Life? Comments welcomed!