Hello. My name is Green. I'm one of the five colors of Magic. Normally, Mark writes this column, but he has chosen to let each of the colors guest write an article to allow us to explain our philosophy from our point of view. Mark has been calling this series "My Words." We originally did this on his podcast, Drive to Work. People liked it enough that he decided to bring it to Making Magic. The other four colors—White, Blue, Black, and Red—have all had their turn, so I, as always, get to go last.

I think the core difference between myself and the rest of the Magic colors is that I'm the one color not advocating for change. We don't have to fix the world. It's perfect as it is. Our goal in life should involve learning to accept what is rather than focusing on what could be. Nature is a perfect system. It's simple yet complex. Aggressive yet peaceful. Huge yet intimate. It is the height of elegance, and oh-so beautiful.

The best part is that each of us has a role in that system; that web of life. We were born to play a part, and the best thing we can do is understand our role and fulfill it as best we can. While that might sound simple on the surface, it is not. It's hard to see the world as it is without being distracted by all the forces wishing to push the world away from its essence. I'm the fifth color to talk to you. The other four colors all have philosophies that try to explain why the world isn't right as it is, that the world is somehow less than it should be, that you have to act to make the world your own.

My message is to stop doing all of that. If you want to understand what life is truly about, go to nature. Find the most secluded spot you can, something far away from the craziness of civilization. Go to that spot and just sit. Sit and observe. Don't talk. Just take some time to soak in nature. Use all your senses to explore the place you're in. Become one with your environment

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You will discover a few things. First, there's a sense of peace. The world, when left to its own devices, is calming. It is here to welcome us and make us feel at home. As you sit there, you will start to understand that you aren't a stranger to this world, but an inhabitant of it. You are part of it, and it is part of you. There is a sense of rhythm, and the longer you stay, the more you become one with that rhythm.

Second, each object plays a role in that ecosystem. That bee is pollinating a flower so that more flowers can grow. Those flowers put nutrients back in the soil to help other plants grow. Larger plants, in turn, provide shelter and food for animals. Every single item has a function it fulfills. As you look around, think about what each thing you're seeing does.

Third, nature is an interconnected system. Every thing lives in conjunction with another. Nothing exists in a vacuum. If you want to understand why a particular creature is the way it is, you must understand its environment. Everything about the creature has adapted over time to live in that environment. And the environment doesn't just affect the creature, the creature affects the environment. It plays a role. For example, it is part of the food system. Some creatures are its food, and it is food to others. If it disappeared, some creatures would overpopulate because it wouldn't be there to eat them. Others might starve because it wasn't there to feed them. I know we often like to think of ourselves as separate from nature, but we are not. We are part of nature. Everything is connected.

Fourth, everything happens for a reason. My enemies like to say that I'm against change. I'm not. Nature is an ever-changing system. Evolution is core to its essence, but that change is slow and purposeful. It happens not in minutes but in lifetimes. Each newborn creature slowly adapts to its world, changing over time to optimize its ability to thrive. It's a different timetable than we tend to think in, but part of accepting the world means accepting that pace of change.

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The more you observe nature, the more you learn how perfect it is. That's the whole point. We spend so much time trying to find solutions to problems that we don't take a step back and realize that we created those problems. We waste so much of our lives worrying about things we don't need to worry about, that we overlook what we already have. That's the core of my philosophy. Learn to appreciate what is. The first step to true happiness is the accepting that you are part of something so much larger than yourself. It's an awe-inspiring thought.

Nature is the greatest force in existence. You are part of that force. Just take a moment to let that sink in. You are a part of something truly amazing. There's nothing you have to do. It was done for you. You were born into it. All you have to do is acknowledge it.

This leads us to step two. Once you accept that you are part of nature, you need to understand your role in it. Each individual is born with all the innate skills they will need to serve their purpose in the great web of life. So, understand your strengths. What are you good at? What can you do naturally well that is difficult for others? Where do your natural abilities shine? I should stress that these skills can still be honed. The more you do the job you were born to do, the better you will do it. Experience will bring wisdom.

Once you understand what natural skills you have to offer, you can move on to step three. This involves figuring out how best to apply your natural skills. If someone is unnaturally strong, for example, how can they use that strength? The key to figuring this out is trial and error. Apply your skills where they seem to do the most good and you will learn, over time, where they are best used. Be aware that sometimes the best use of your skills might not be apparent at first. That is why you need to try many things to find what you excel at.

I don't want to minimize the complexity of step three. Finding your purpose in life can be tricky. Knowing what you're good at is not the same thing as knowing how to apply it. That can take time, and that's okay. You don't have to solve this puzzle overnight; you have a whole lifetime. Some people will find their calling immediately and others will have to spend years looking for it.

Which leads us to the final step, step four. Once you have found your calling, apply yourself as best you can, then use your resources to help others find their calling. Part of being a key element in the web of life involves training others to achieve their role. Hopefully, someone helped you in your quest, and you can return the favor by passing it along.

That's it. That's the recipe for lifelong satisfaction. And again, I understand that executing this is hard. But while achieving it can be difficult, the overall goal is quite simple. Acknowledge nature as the force it is. Discover your own innate skills. Apply those skills to find your role. Fulfill your role and help others find theirs.

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Obviously, there are many internal conflicts you might face, but there are also some external ones, so let's talk about those, i.e., my fellow colors. I'll start with Blue, one of my so-called enemies. Probably the biggest issue is that Blue can only accept things that it can tangibly prove. My core philosophy is all about you learning to feel something and acknowledge it. Blue doesn't acknowledge feelings. It doesn't care about what it knows in its gut. Blue needs numbers on a chalkboard, and you're never going to discover the beauty of nature that way. There's no logical proof for why a sunset is awesome.

Blue believes only in intellect, and I function on instinct. Experiencing it only validates my point. And even then, it requires a leap of faith, and Blue doesn't do faith. It doesn't understand that things exist beyond its ability to measure them. It's like trying to explain color to a person who has only ever lived in darkness.

But it gets worse. Blue also believes that everything you are comes from external sources; that you're born a "blank slate." But you don't define your life or identity; your desires do. Your parents are bears, but you could be a pig if you apply yourself. How are you supposed to look within to find answers if you're constantly told that knowledge only exists outside of yourself?

It's a great irony that the color who claims it's all about information refuses to accept things about itself. Where you come from means something. It tells you about your past and how you fit in the world. Blue spends so much energy convincing people to ignore it. Blue cares about knowledge, but only the things that advance its preconceived notion of what it wants. It doesn't seek truth. It's apt that Blue is the color of deception, because it's so good at lying to itself.

I can see a world where Blue and I get along. We both enjoy exploration. We like categorizing things. Neither of us focus on the present, although that's because I'm enamored with the past and blue loves looking to the future. Blue and I want many of the same basic things. We're both trying to understand our role in life. We're just looking in different places.

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Next is Black. I talked earlier about how nature is interconnected and how each living thing is part of a delicate ecosystem. To truly respect that, one has to embrace the concept of responsibility. That's how you function in a world where what you do affects everyone else. The Magiccolor Black abhors responsibility and sees it as some kind of weakness. So, it advocates selfishness dressed up as ambition and says that the only way to succeed is at the expense of others. That's a dangerous attitude. If every component of the web of life acted only in its own interest, the whole ecosystem would collapse. That's pretty dangerous.

I also really don't like how Black thinks of death. Unlike the other colors, I'm not afraid of death. It's a natural part of the life cycle. Death has an important function. But Black sees it as a tool; as a means of getting what it wants. If something gets in its way, kill it. Because Black only thinks of the repercussions it will face and doesn't care about the damage it does to others.

A core part of my philosophy involves people learning that they have a path to walk, a destiny. The reason you were born into the world was so that you could fulfill a specific function and be part of a community. Black sees this whole concept as a violation of their principles. It's like a petulant child that only wants to do what they want to do. And selfishness grows like a weed, strangling everything in its path. As Blue rejects identity, Black rejects purpose.

There are things to like about Black. It's the only color that tries to understand the cycle of life. And nature has a dark side that Black can appreciate. I do also like Black's focus and desire to never give up. If only it were just a little less greedy.

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Let's move on to my pal Red. Unlike Blue and Black, I get along with Red. Red is the one other color that looks internally for its motivation. Yeah, it's more impulsive than instinctual, but I like that Red is willing listen to its body and do what it asks. This allows Red to better enjoy the moment. I can have fun with Red because Red just wants to experience life.

Red also has a carefree side that I connect to. Red isn't hampered by societal conventions. If Red feels like wildly running through a field, that's what it's going to do. I really enjoy that Red and I are capable of living in the moment. So many people get caught up in their heads and are paralyzed from doing anything because they're afraid of the consequences of their actions. Red lives in the now.

Red also understands the need to sometimes tap into your wild side. Part of our nature is untamed, and we shouldn't be afraid of letting it loose. Embracing who you are includes letting your feral side have some time in the sun. Red understands that.

My biggest issue with Red is that it doesn't really get my more spiritual side. Yes, there's a time for running through the woods, but there's also a time to sit quietly and embrace the world around you. I don't think Red can sit still for more than 30 seconds. Introspection is not really Red's thing. And while Red can be passionate, it's mostly for those close to Red. Red's sense of community is pretty limited.

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This brings us to White. Unlike Red, White understands community. In fact, White also recognizes the need to value the group. It knows that we, as a community, are only as powerful as the sum of our individual members. The one place we differ is that White feels a need to treat all the members of its community the same, whereas I believe each individual can be treated uniquely. We aren't all the same, so why pretend that we are?

White also understands the concept of faith and the need to believe in things that you can't necessarily see with your eyes. It gets that part of holding a community together means giving them something larger to believe in. White leans toward religion and I lean toward spirituality, but we have a similar sense of the importance of the nontangible. Things won't bring you ultimate happiness.

But White focuses too much on the need for established rules, and that's where we differ most. White wants to live in cities run by laws and focuses its faith on morality and the need for moral rights and wrongs. I rely on natural systems and allow each individual to follow their own instincts.

Before I wrap up for today, I want to talk about my strengths and weaknesses. My biggest strength is my unwavering belief. Every other color is searching for something, but I have already found the answers I'm looking for. That gives me a certainty that no other color has, which I can use to focus. This allows me access to more colors, more mana, and more efficient creatures. I know what I want, and I am all in.

This leads me to my greatest weakness. Mark loves to say that your greatest weakness is your greatest strength pushed too far. I am overly reliant on the things I care about. When things don't go my way, I can easily get into trouble because of my routine dependencies. For example, I rely on my own creatures to answer threats. But without my own creatures, I'm often unable to stop others.

Now for my final thoughts. Each color has explained why their philosophy will work best for you. Here's my pitch. You don't need to change anything about yourself. You are perfect just the way you are. The key to satisfaction is not about doing something; it's about acknowledging something. Accept that the world around you is perfect as it is. Embrace nature. Then, to find happiness, discover your role and live it. It's that simple. You just have to relinquish your preconceptions. The key to satisfaction is within your grasp; it just requires adjusting how you think. It's that simple. My pitch is probably the least complicated of all the Magic colors.

And that is all I have to say today. I hope this column resonates with some of you. It was a pleasure to have a chance to share my vision of the world. I want to thank Mark for giving me this opportunity.

Mark asked me to remind you that he likes feedback on his articles. You can email him or contact him through social media (Bluesky, Tumblr, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter) about your feedback on today's articles or any of the articles in the "My Words" series.

Join Mark next time for another installment of Making Magic.

Until then, may you realize the answer is already in your grasp.