Prove Life Wrong
I’ve had a weekly reminder sitting on my task list for ages now: Write this post. Not because I needed content, but because I’ve been trying to find the right words to express something that’s become deeply personal.
What started as a simple phrase I told myself—“Prove Life Wrong”—has slowly taken root as a personal mantra. I have it printed out and pinned above my monitors. I’ve used it in hashtags, replies, and small moments of encouragement online, and I’ve noticed it resonates with others too. So I figured… now is the time to share what it really means to me.
What I'm saying is that I'm trying to find rational reasons to explain irrational feelings, and that's neveer a good sign.
Like many people recently, I’ve been affected by job loss. Even before it officially happened, I could feel the weight of it pressing down. In that heaviness, this phrase kept surfacing in my thoughts—Prove Life Wrong. It became a counterweight to the uncertainty.
For years, when someone would tell me they were struggling, I’d try to offer a version of support: “That’s just life. You take it as it comes, and how you respond defines your character.” And while I meant well, I’ve come to realize how cold that can sound. It lacks empathy. What I really wanted to say—what I should have said—is this: Prove Life Wrong.
I’m still working through the emotions that come with an uncertain future. But I’ve also chosen to lean into the creative pursuits that bring me joy and purpose. One of those is the company I started in 2020—Other Worlds Than These—which serves as an umbrella for my music, my love of tabletop games, and everything else that fuels my imagination.
Without going too deep into personal details, I’ll just say this: 2020 was a pivotal year for me. Not just because of the pandemic—though like everyone, COVID turned everything upside down—but because so many life-changing events piled on all at once. I took in my father to care for him. My wife and I each faced traumatic experiences. My children needed me more than ever.
Too many things to list, and too personal to share broadly—but what I can say is this: it reminded me I’m not alone. Even though, in the moment, it felt like no one could possibly be facing as much as I was… I know now that everyone carries burdens we don’t always see.
So if you’re going through something similar, I want to encourage you not to see your current situation as the end of the path. Don’t fixate on a single outcome. Use this time to learn. Connect with friends. Reflect. Reroute. Our paths aren’t always straight lines—sometimes they twist and fork, and that’s okay. What matters is finding a direction that gives you meaning.
Everyone’s circumstances are different, and not all roads are equally smooth. But if you can find even a moment of peace, or clarity, or hope—hold onto it. You are not defined by a job title or a past role. There is more ahead. More to create. More to discover.
The road and the tale have both been long, would you not say so? The trip has been long and the cost has been high... but no great thing was ever attained easily. A long tale, like a tall Tower, must be built a stone at a time.
If that quote speaks to you, then you too have not forgotten the face of your father.
Stay the course. And when life tells you to give in… prove it wrong.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. Writing it wasn’t easy, but it felt necessary. I don’t claim to have all the answers—hell, some days I barely have the questions—but I’m doing what I can to move forward, one step, one stone at a time.
If anything here resonated with you, I hope you’ll carry it with you. And if you’re struggling right now, just know: you’re not alone, and you’re not defined by your setbacks.
Go then, there are other worlds than these.
Here’s to finding strength in the story we’re still writing.
Prove Life Wrong.
—Keith Richie
Founder of Other Worlds Than These
aka Maestoso | The Old Bard
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