The Protagonist
Purpose Over Position.
You know, when it comes to the main story of our lives, I thought about creating some magical, inspirational terms and examples to make it sound more glorious and entertaining.
Instead, I’ll keep it real and state the facts from the beginning.
The main story is about purpose, not position. It is the narrative of who you are becoming and the determination it takes to reach the peak of your metaphorical mountain.
In every individual story, we have a protagonist, which in this case, is me (hey y’all, happy to be here). The protagonist is the driving force behind every decision, experience, and character arc that will shape you for the rest of your days.
And if you are wondering how I am doing so far? Let’s just say I am still in the downloading and progressing phase of my story.
The Set Up
Looking deeper into this real/game world, there’s an understanding I need you to have before we move forward. You will be assigned missions in life that either make, break, or teach you something, so that you decide how to pivot from there.
This journey isn’t a short term trend. You can’t follow someone else’s story and still level up on your own.
And if you thought this was something you could hide from forever, well, my friend, today is the day the kid from Rexdale (aka me) reminds you what you are capable of. We move to the specifics.
Experience Points (XP)
Remember when you were told as a child that you are responsible for your actions?
Yeah, me neither…
But we might as well apply that now before you think you are invincible and get embarrassed in every episode of your life (yes, like the superhero on TV).
A purposeful life requires responsibility. You must take ownership of the decisions you make. Every mission you complete - big or small - gives you something valuable in return: experience points (XP).
The beauty of having XP is none of it goes to waste. We just have to use it accordingly and keep things moving to avoid the spirit of stagnation.
Everything we do gives us XP. Some checkpoints provide more for us than others.
Securing a driver’s licence
Getting a job to pay your bills
Learning how to manage your money
Building healthy habits
We slowly accumulate points daily but you will encounter challenges occasionally, requiring you to use all your experience to move past the obstacle in front of you. Once you succeed, you earn more XP than before, and naturally you become stronger as a result. And just like that, the cycle repeats (a lovely concept, don’t you agree?).
I am just being real here: some of us leave the house unnecessarily, spend money and complete side quests that have no real value.
You just want to be outside for show and not have the feeling of FOMO (fear of missing out) on your mind. When you are young, it feels like nothing going out over and over again (trust me, I KNOW), but ladies and gentlemen, you’ll be surprised how much XP is being missed out on in exchange for three hours of pure nonsense.
To make things clearer, I like to end my day with three simple questions.
Did my mission today have any purpose?
Did I gain experience from what I did today?
Did my actions move my character forward or keep me at the same level?
If the answer is yes to any of these questions, you are doing your role correctly as the protagonist, and the XP is moving.
And as long as the XP keeps stacking, the overall rating will eventually rise.
Maximum (HP)
A full health points (HP) bar is one of the most important things we take for granted in this life.
Think of a health bar as your ability to move, operate efficiently, and perform at your highest level.
For simplicity, let’s say the health bar runs from 0 to 100.
Naturally, we would want this bar to be the closest it possibly can to 100, right? We can do this by living a healthy lifestyle, socializing with friends, living a Godly life, and of course, hitting our protein goals (a daily struggle, I must say).
The more you level up, the higher the HP bar grows as you are able to handle more attacks and challenges against your character trying to drain you of all your energy at once, or overtime.
Truth is, many of us in the streets have already been battled-tested. Life throws the most unexpected encounters our way. As the journey continues, be prepared for all the distractions and vices that will quietly chip away at your HP.
Some of the most common status effects look like this:
Poison - Excessive drugs, alcohol, and habits that slowly pollute your mind and body. It doesn’t knock you out immediately; it just drains you little by little.
Burn - Self-inflicted damage. Purposely putting yourself in situations that you don’t need to be in and dealing with the consequences afterward.
Paralysis - Mental stagnation. Overthinking, fear, laziness, or distractions that stop you from moving forward, even when you know what needs to be done.
Yeah… you see this list above? We want to avoid this as much as possible.
Now listen, a likkle likkle (standard abbreviation for little, little) dabble here and there won’t kill the character build in one night. But you’ll start to feel your health deplete quickly if those status effects start stacking. And that’s usually when you will be begging for the antidote or full restore to get yourself back to normal (if you understand this reference, blessings on to you).
Restoring HP
Over time, I’ve learned a few small things that help recharge the system and bring my health bar back up to where it needs to be.
Nothing complicated, simple resets.
Getting a haircut/getting my hair done
You already know a fresh cut does wonders for the mind, body, and soul. You can be at your lowest point, and a fresh trim will bring you back to life in minutes (this has been tested and proven over decades, just trust me).
Full Reset Day
Step away from the noise. Rest. Recalibrate. Let the system recover. Go to the gym, go for a walk, touch some grass, and most importantly, LIVE IN THE REAL WORLD. You need to reclaim your reality physically and mentally before you plan your next move. It’s about rebooting the system, not factory resetting it.
“The mistake many players make is trying to grind the XP while their HP bar is almost empty.”
When your HP bar is full, earning XP becomes a lot easier because you’re operating at your optimal level.
Your focus sharpens.
Your discipline tightens.
Your decision-making becomes quicker and more precise.
Everything about your character moves differently.
Give yourself an advantage and don’t be lapped by others because you aren’t willing to go through the necessary training arc required to reach your full potential.
Because when the HP bar is restored, something shifts. You attack the next mission with energy instead of hesitation.
And let’s be honest - nothing hits quite like seeing that bar refill and knowing your back to full HP.
Where To?
Today, we named you the protagonist of your story - gaining XP, guarding your HP, choosing your temptations with intention, and knowing the rituals available to restore you to full strength.
I need us to have the confidence to say:
The protagonist is awake.
The XP is stacking.
The HP is protected.
The question is, where do you go from here?
What will you do with this information to max out your journey?
For me, I can say a bunch of words, and you have no reason to believe me. But with the right words and actions to back it up - that’s the real test of being realistic with myself on this journey.
So where am I heading? Towards a season of risk, fearlessness, and boss battles that will either take me higher or break me down. Either way, the kid from Rexdale 99 overall goal has a plan in sight and is looking forward to executing it.
PSA - felt like a 79 overall today, stayed up late to finish this article because the ideas kept flowing, but I’ll be up early in the morning knowing future Michael wished he slept earlier. It is what it is.
Thank you for reading. Share with a friend, and I’ll see you at the next one. Answer the question below!
“How do you restore your HP during the week?”
Disclaimer - this article follows the 99 overall series I am writing about. Catch the first read here!