You Are the Protagonist of This World

The purity and freedom of childhood is the ideal state I will pursue for the rest of my life.

As a kid I ran sprints for my class at the school sports meet — in fourth grade I beat sixth graders. Then a transfer student arrived, half a head taller than me, the all-school sprint champion of his previous school. In private races I never beat him once.

But when we finally met on the track at the school meet, I felt no fear at all. I had always been stronger than the kids around me; my family believed in my athletic gift; my heart was certain I would win — even though, objectively, he had the build and the record.

I took first place. He was as astonished as anyone at my explosiveness that day.

A child's confidence is absolute: a simple, unqualified "I can." Belief without impurities — no objective analysis, no humility, no fear.

So what is the virus?

As an adult, recalling moments like that, my reflex is to explain them away: maybe my opponent was off that day; maybe the conditions happened to favor me.

The virus teaches us to deny ourselves.

We become cautious, we weigh pros and cons, we call it objectivity — and we lose the purity. We judge things by circumstance, choose with other people's gazes in mind, and carry so many implanted opinions in our subconscious that we lose track of who we are.

People with a youthful heart are like the children we used to be: a clean inner world with a natural immune system against the world's viruses.

The trouble is that a brain is not a computer — you cannot right-click and empty the recycle bin. Staying clear means continuously observing your inner world: noticing the soul's existence, discovering its true meaning and mission here. Every soul is beautiful and supreme.

This world is nothing but a vast virtual game — and you are its fearless protagonist.