Life is a Stage: Your Role, Your Joy

Life is Like a Play: We Are All Actors

 “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” This famous line by William Shakespeare tells us something important. It means our life is like a play, and we are all actors in it. This feels true because everyone on Earth will die one day. We are not here forever. When we are born, we have a certain time limit. We won’t stay here permanently.

God is the Director, We Are the Actors

Shakespeare says the world has different stages, and we are all players. We get certain roles to play. Just like a play lasts only a few hours, and then it’s over, we are here for a certain time. Actors know their role is for a short time. They try to do their best. Then, they go back to being themselves. We are like that too.

Think of God as the director. He wrote the whole story. Everything that happens is part of His plan. We just need to perform our part.

For example, imagine a student preparing for an exam. They can study hard and do their best, but the final result often depends on many things, some beyond their control, like the difficulty of the questions or even their health on that day. If they understand that they simply need to perform their role as a student to the best of their ability, they can accept the outcome with more peace. They did their part, and the rest is part of the larger script.

Another example is a farmer planting seeds. The farmer performs their role by tilling the soil, planting, and watering. But the growth of the crop also depends on factors like rain and sunlight, which are not in their hands. They trust in the natural process, the “divine script” of nature.

Why Worry? Just Enjoy Your Role

So, in this short life, why should we worry? Why should we hurt others? Why be sad or angry? We know everything will happen as per His script. So, let’s just be thankful to Him. Let’s enjoy life by helping everyone and loving everyone.

If we live this way, no one will be unhappy. We will do well in our daily lives. And our journey to a better, more spiritual life will also begin.

This idea is not new. Many ancient philosophies and spiritual teachings also share this view. For instance, the Bhagavad Gita, a revered Hindu scripture, talks about “karma yoga” – performing your duty without being attached to the results. This is similar to an actor focusing on their performance, not just on the audience’s applause or the play’s ending. It encourages us to put in our best effort and then accept what comes, knowing that it’s all part of a larger, meaningful design.

Living with this mindset, focusing on our actions and our attitude rather than trying to control every outcome, can bring a lot of peace. It’s like being a talented dancer in a grand performance; you focus on your steps, your rhythm, and your expression, trusting the choreographer’s vision for the entire show.