Don’t deny it. Whether you are a Harry Potterhead, a Trekkie or you are still watching 90’s wrestling matches (hey, I just re-watched the Hogan vs Sting Starrcade ’97 match last fall!) I know you have an inner nerd. But have you ever stopped to reflect on your geekism?

This week I was interviewed by a reporter for Launcher (a gaming subsection of Washington Post) about my loyalty to Zelda and how it tied into my life and self-improvement journey. I can’t wait to share the article with you in the coming weeks, but I really couldn’t wait to talk about what I discovered about myself during this interview.

My love for Zelda is complex. There are the surface reasons such as the unpredictability of not always knowing the next step, getting to explore every nook and cranny of the game, the character development of every NPC (side character) and getting to learn their unique stories. But there are deeper reasons as well.

Zelda’s creator, Shigeru Miyamoto developed this fantasy world based on his own memories of playing in a woods near his childhood village. As a child, we all had fantasies about other worlds. Many of mine were much like the game (minus all the dang spiders): dragons, fairies and hidden passages that led you or transported you about. Of course, I played Super Mario Bros. as well, but it held a different charm. I played it when I needed a linear mission that was simply a matter of survival.

I live for the side quests. Majora’s Mask was my second favorite of the Zelda series (next to Twilight Princess) because it only had four dungeons but a whole plethora of side quests. I hear I am an odd duck for preferring the side quests over the dungeons, but I attach more to the intricate story lines of the characters. While I’m lucky to not have had a maze-like house growing up as Mr. Miyamoto reported to have had, in many ways the unpredictability, unexpected adversity and the curiosity that the game triggered prepared me for life. Sometimes I might find an old man that is going to rip me off, sometimes I might have to face a great fear (like spiders) and sometimes I encounter people who seemingly speak in nonsensical and unnecessary riddles (“Meet the old man at the waterfall.”) Then I find that item that helps me grow a little, explore new areas or face a challenge that I couldn’t have previously taken on. Suddenly, what these people were saying makes sense. Eventually, I learn the kind of people I can trust.

In many ways, Link developed and grew as I did. Majora’s Mask released right when boys and romance starting becoming a central theme in my life and, through the Kafei and Anju side quest, I realized how important things like commitment, sacrifice and a connection deeper than what’s on the surface are to me. Twilight Princess released when the grief of losing my dad was still fresh. I had attributed the wolf as my “spirit animal” in real life as long as I can remember and looked at her as a source of strength. The symbology that the strength was in me, that the wolf was a part of me, was very cathartic during that time.

The Triforce tattoo on my right hand is a nod to my love for the game, yes, but also a reminder that all of these virtues must be in balance for there to be harmony: power (physical), wisdom (intellectual) and courage (spiritual.) When I am working with my clients or I am faced with a struggle myself, I often look at my tattoo and reflect: which aspect of the Triforce do they/I need the most right now?