You’re Not Alone: We’re All Playing the Same Game in Life

If you think you’re alone, well—I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but we’re all playing the same game in this playground called life.

It happens all the time. Some difficulty pops up, and I find myself sitting there thinking, Why me? How come no one else has to deal with this? Why am I so alone?

But the truth is, I’m not alone. You’re not alone. None of us are.

It may feel that way because we only see the inside of our own lives. We don’t always see the struggles other people are carrying. But if you could peek into other people’s lives, you’d quickly realize that many of them are fighting battles that look a lot like yours.

This hit me recently while I was listening to the Dave Ramsey podcast. He made a comment to a caller, saying, “One day, you’ll read the menu from left to right instead of right to left.”

That one line brought me straight back to my childhood. I remembered sitting in restaurants as my parents told me, “That menu item is too expensive—pick something else.” Later, when I started going out with friends or on dates, I found myself focusing more on the prices on the right side of the menu than the actual food on the left.

And to make matters worse, once I lost the ability to read menus on my own, I had to constantly ask people to tell me the prices out loud. Trust me, that is not a great look when you’re on a date.

It reminded me of the movie Half Baked where Dave Chappelle goes on a date with only five dollars in his pocket. The whole scene, you see his cash balance shrinking with every purchase. At one point, he even tries to sneakily grab money out of a Santa donation bucket just to keep up. (For the record—I’m not saying it’s okay to steal from Santa! But you get the point.)

The reality is, many of us are in that same spot. We’ve got a certain amount of money in our pockets and it has to last until the next paycheck.

And it’s not just money. People are struggling with health challenges, broken relationships, parenting stress, you name it. The list goes on and on.

What makes it so heavy sometimes is that when those overwhelming moments hit, it feels like no one else is around. But that’s a lie our minds tell us. You are not alone.

For some people, simply knowing they’re not alone is enough. For others, it’s about finding a community—whether that’s a friend, a group, or even an online circle of support. And if you’re not into connecting with people directly, there are still ways to remind yourself: read a book, listen to a podcast, follow someone trustworthy on YouTube. Just don’t retreat and isolate yourself.

In Jiu-Jitsu, there’s a position called the “turtle.” It’s when you curl up and protect yourself—but it’s not a winning strategy. The real move is to turn back, face the challenge head-on, and fight with everything you’ve got.

Life works the same way. Retreating makes you feel safe for a moment, but it won’t move you forward. Facing your struggles—this time knowing you have resources, perspective, and community—gives you the strength to overcome any adversity.

So no—you’re not alone. And you never have to be.