I’ve written a few gaming metaphors/lessons before in Video Game Lessons. I want to talk more in gaming terms and expand on them a little better.
Everyone else is not an NPC in your story, they are all heroes and adventurers in their own stories, and you don’t know everyone’s backstory. No one you ever meet is just someone there to further your plot or for you to get things from, they have their own story, too. People who are not you are just as autonomous and free-thinking as you are. Don’t act like some people are meaningless, not even the cashier, the greeter, or the homeless person on the corner. Don’t discount interpersonal interactions with anyone either. We are all playing a part in each others’ stories. Sometimes we’re in the same adventuring party.
Sometimes you have to go back and do or find something you missed in order to move forward. That happens in life also. Sometimes God won’t let you move forward until you finish what you missed earlier, otherwise what’s ahead won’t make sense and might not work properly.
When you find a lot of good loot, you either worked hard to find it or you’re about to need all of it for a rough fight. Sometimes you work hard to get good things in life, sometimes God blesses you with abundance so you can use it to help someone in the near future and/or so you can get through the boss battle you’re about to weather.
Sometimes you need a Player Two or you are the Player Two, a friend, a buddy, someone to help with a task or to make progress. Yes there are a lot of things you can do solo, but a lot of it is better and easier with at least one other friend. Sometimes you need or want more than two players. Get the whole squad together! Start an adventuring party!
If you’re coming across opposition, you’re probably going the right way. In life and in games, sometimes people and things trying to stop you from progressing can be signs that you’re heading the right way.