What Game Am I Playing?

“Comparison is the thief of joy,” they say. It’s easy to get caught up in the seemingly glamorous snapshots of other people’s lives. Snapshots—because that’s often all we get to see, or all people choose to share. And glamorous—because few of us post about our absurdities, mistakes, or the simple things we struggle with. That’s on them.

What we do get to control is what we consume—and more importantly, how we let it affect us. Often, the effect is deeper than we realise. And why wouldn’t it be? We’re wired to chase rewards and validation, and that’s exactly what we see others receiving. If the chase goes on long enough, we might find ourselves playing someone else’s game—without even realising it.

The Unique Game

I believe each of us has a unique purpose in life. Sure, there might be parallels or overlaps, but we all come with our own gift, our own path. Maybe we’re heading toward the same kind of destination, but the route is ours alone.
When we jump into someone else’s game, we risk never discovering our own. Even if we “win,” we’ve already lost—because we were playing the wrong game. There was a beautiful path that was uniquely designed for us, one that might now go unexplored. As the cliché goes: “It’s the journey that’s most rewarding, not the destination.”

Inspiration vs Aspiration

These aren't synonyms. Inspiration is about action. Aspiration is about outcomes.
Having role models in our lives, or people to look up to is great—it can motivate us or help realign our course. But when our drive comes from wanting what someone else has, when envy of their results becomes our driver, it can throw us completely off track. Differentiating between the two can be difficult, especially in a world where everything is on display.

Finding your Game

What helps me is asking better questions: “Why am I doing this?”, “What if no one ever finds out what I’m working on?”, “What if there’s no reward at the finish line?”
These two have helped me course correct when I get distracted—something that happens more often than I realise. Recently, I stopped logging my runs on Strava. It was starting to feel more like a social performance—seeking quiet validation and subtle comparison. And yet, I still find myself checking others’ runs. It made me question my original intent. I’m still figuring it out.

And it’s not just with running. Other parts of my life carry similar patterns, even if the intensity differs. But I’m grateful that life nudges me—sometimes gently, sometimes not—to pause, reflect, and course-correct. It’s not always easy being honest with yourself. But when you are, it can be surprisingly powerful.

I’m far from having it all figured out. I even questioned whether I should write this—like a lot of the things I write. But I did it anyway, because:
It serves as a reminder to myself. And, It might spark a thought in your mind, and maybe help you find Your Game.