Today, I received a message from my mother.
My grandfather passed away at the age of 86.
To be honest, I wasn't particularly surprised.
About a year ago, he became bedridden. He could barely move. Eating, drinking, turning over in bed, and even using the bathroom all required the help of family members.
For him, I don't think that could truly be called living anymore. It felt more like waiting for the end of life.
So when I received the news, what I felt wasn't overwhelming sadness.
It was a sense of peace.
In a way, I felt it was a release for him.
And perhaps, it was also a release for the family members who had spent so long caring for him.
Death Is a Question None of Us Can Escape
Whether we are rich or poor, successful or ordinary, every one of us will eventually face the same destination:
Death.
The only difference is when it arrives.
I think anyone who can live peacefully into their eighties or nineties is already fortunate.
After all, that means they were given decades to experience the world, to love, to learn, to make mistakes, and to grow.
And yet, when you think about it, eighty or ninety years isn't really that long.
For people who have dreams, goals, and meaningful work that excites them every day, decades seem to disappear in the blink of an eye. There is never enough time.
But for those who drift through life without purpose, or who spend their days struggling with pain and hardship, those same decades can feel unbearably long.
Time itself never changes.
What changes is the meaning we give to it.
Life Is Like a Journey Without a Map
Not long ago, while studying for the JLPT N2 exam, I read a passage that said:
"Life is like a journey without a map."
No one knows what lies ahead before reaching the destination.
There is no guidebook that tells us which path is the right one.
We can only keep walking, discovering who we are and adjusting our direction along the way.
Later, another metaphor came to mind.
To me, life feels less like a journey and more like a game with an incredible amount of freedom.
Everyone Is Playing Their Own Game
When we're born, each of us starts with a different character.
Some are born into wealthy families.
Others into ordinary ones.
Some are naturally gifted.
Others begin life with physical limitations.
None of these starting conditions are ours to choose.
But once the game begins, something interesting happens.
Little by little, the choices become our own.
You can choose to spend your days relaxing and enjoying entertainment.
You can live paycheck to paycheck, spending everything you earn simply to enjoy the present.
You can choose marriage and children, passing life on to the next generation.
You can start a business.
Travel the world.
Devote your entire life to mastering a single subject.
Or you can keep learning, keep growing, and continue becoming a better version of yourself.
Personally, I don't believe any of these choices are inherently right or wrong.
Everyone has the right to decide how they want to play their own game.
My Choice Is Freedom
If you asked me what I want most in life,
my answer has always been the same:
Freedom.
By freedom, I don't simply mean the ability to go wherever I want.
I mean having the ability to choose the kind of life I want to live.
Not being forced to do work I dislike simply to survive.
Not having to abandon my dreams because of financial pressure.
That's why financial freedom, to me, isn't about showing off wealth.
It's about having more choices.
Money is not the destination.
Freedom is.
Of course, I know that financial freedom is a dream shared by countless people.
And for many, it remains a goal they may never fully achieve.
But that doesn't discourage me.
Because the value of a goal isn't only in reaching it.
A meaningful goal gives you a reason to get out of bed every morning.
It shapes how you spend your time.
And over the years, it shapes the person you become.
Don't Spend Your Life Watching the Countdown
Death is inevitable.
Every game eventually comes to an end.
Precisely because of that, I don't think we should spend every day worrying about the finish line.
Instead of constantly watching the countdown to "Game Over,"
I'd rather focus on playing this game well.
Life needs something worth dedicating yourself to.
It needs a goal that genuinely excites you.
Then, step by step, you keep moving toward it.
Even if you never fully reach your destination,
that's okay.
When the game finally ends,
I hope I can honestly say to myself:
I truly played this game.
I didn't waste my time.
I have no regrets.
Perhaps that is what the meaning of life is, at least for me.