Sometimes I start to think that life is a battle. I think that I need to put on my armor, grab my sword before I walk outside, and get ready to kick some butt.

Or more accurately, I am a white, valiant knight and life is my evil enemy. I must defeat it and triumph over it.

I think that’s how a lot of people think about life. It’s about surviving. It’s about struggle.

The past couple of days, I feel like I’ve been struggling to keep my head above water. I’ve barely been getting assignments in on time. I’ve barely been breathing. And I feel worn out, and I feel like life is beating me.

Then I started thinking about it. All of that is really silly. Life isn’t trying to kill me. Life doesn’t really have an opinion one way or the other.

I think life is more like a series of moving sidewalks. The sidewalks don’t really care which one you are on, but the sidewalk you are on profoundly affects where you are going.

Or maybe life is like standing in the ocean. If you are an ocean-person, then you understand the waves. You know how to handle them so that they don’t drown you. Your body learns how to not let them tire you. And eventually you do grow weary, but it’s a peaceful weary. And the waves push you back towards shore because you know how to steer them.

Yeah, life is like standing in the ocean.