Tag Archives: Game Of Life

21

Playing It

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Play- engage in an activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.

playLife often seems to be a somber and practical experience, making people miss the truth behind it. Life is a game, and once you accept that and learn how to play it, it will become a much more enjoyable and recreational experience.  Like any game, there are challenges to overcome and strategies to implement.  Most people never realize this is the case. They spend their life soberly moving from one square to the next,  regretting moves they made in the past or fretting over challenges that may come tomorrow.  Life is a game that is played in the now because that is all you are guaranteed.  Never forget to play with passion as you move through life, and it starts with an awareness of this game happening right under your nose, with your thoughts, words, and actions.  

Enjoy The Game

We are all born into this game, I don’t think we asked for it,  but here we are.  Like all games, you can see players using different strategies to get maximum enjoyment with minimal effort.  Some play a social game as they move around the board, and others choose to be the lone wolf.  All of us are trying Playto move through the board and find the prize of peace and contentment. It seems that the players that enjoy every experience, every move are the ones that benefit the most.

There are many truths to the game of life. Who you choose to play with will determine how well you play and how much you enjoy the experience. Some have the intention of not wanting any part of the game.  These negative souls see every changing move as a problem and a potential for pain. Avoid these players at all costs because they will make the game miserable for everyone they contact in their sport.  Spend your time with people who love the game, and it will be easy to enjoy too.

Limits to Avoid

In the game of life, there are some things to avoid as you play.  One of the most important is to avoid worrying about what other people think of your moves around the board. They may tell you that you look silly or that your playstrategy will never work, or they may say they have a better plan.  Let these reservations of others slide right off you. You are the only person who can play your game, and life provides you with many lessons that will assist you in reaching the goals of happiness and contentment.  Anyone being critical of your play is probably sliding backward themselves or can’t seek the imagination it takes to move forward. Avoid listening to what others think of you. The responsibility for your play lies with you alone.

The second thing to avoid is becoming too confident in the way you play.  Life has many penalties for overconfidence, and none of them are pleasant. Be assured, but never stop being grateful for where you are and what you have in this game. That will keep you grounded and avoid the big falls that pride can bring.  You will never figure the whole match out; nobody does.  But you can learn through playing to the end all that you need to know. Gratitude is an essential fuel for the game, play it consistently and generously, and it will take you a long way.

Finally, avoid fear as you move around the game. It is natural if you are in a “good” spot on the board to stay there. But life is a running game and never stands still; one of the specific rules is that you have to keep moving and changing. Change is life, and accepting change is accepting life.   Some call this scary. Others call this opportunity.  Call it a chance because it doesn’t matter if you like it or not; that is what will happen. Things will change, and you will have to roll the dice again or spin the wheel and take the moves in front of you.  Do not be afraid. Be confident that whatever lies ahead, you will have the ability to play through it and move on to even a better level. Each challenge of the game is an opportunity for growth. Play the game and grow!

Winning the Game

Well, here is the sad truth. There is no winning the game. There is only one playing it.  The choices that you make on the way define your play and will playdetermine the experience you have. The most crucial factor in realizing is that you have a choice. Maybe not with what the game brings you but in how you react to those experiences. These are the most important decisions you can make because they will determine if the skills you have move you forward or backward in the game.  Are you climbing a ladder or sliding down a chute back to where you started?

Try not to play the victim and complain about everything.  All challenges bring with them an opportunity. To be better or accomplish something. If you choose not to take advantage of that because of grief for what has gone or fear of what might come, then take responsibility for it.  Because in the game of life, you are responsible for how you play. You and you alone.

PLAY TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY.  That is winning the game and will allow you to get the most out of it.  We have little control over when it will end but total control over the choices we make while we play. Raise your awareness of the play with your thoughts, words, and actions. Remember, none of us will get out of here alive. 

“Life is a game, and you are the player. As you master the game, so you also create it.” ― Jay Woodman.

“The game of life is a game of boomerangs. Our thoughts, deeds, and words come back to us with astounding accuracy.” ~Florence Scovel Shinn

 

 

 

21

Persistence

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persistence
Be like the river in all you do.

There is a power inside successful people, and that strength comes from the consistent practice of persistence.  To be able to continue moving forward to a goal, despite hitting some obstacles along the way. Nothing takes the place of persistence when it comes to achieving your goals, financially, physically, or even spiritually.  Many things that are worthwhile to our experience are not easy to get. In this lies their value.   It is often the steps that one has to take to reach their ultimate goal that makes the goal a growth experience.  Persistence is the ability to push past your perceived limits and find your abilities.  Consciously look for persistence today in your thoughts, words, and actions. Where can you push through, keep moving forward and find success when it would be easier to pull over to the side of the road.

Never Give Up

Everyone faces moments of darkness in life. Times when challenges seem to be stacked against them. It can seem like there is no hope at all. But somewhere deep down inside, there is a voice, if you listen,  that tells you to keep trying. Try again. One more time.   It is the thing that gives you the power to give more effort, to begin again, to believe again, to hope you can achieve. This voice is persistence.  Without this word, you will have difficulty achieving anything of value because things of value, by definition, have a cost and that cost is your effort, imagination, and ability. Too often, the easy road requires nothing and is worth that exact amount.

Remember that challenges are two-fold. They provide difficulties that are unforeseen and seem like problems. But on the other side, they also come with an opportunity to succeed.  By being persistent, you can learn the lessons of the challenges, move forward, and apply them to your life.  It reminds me of the poem my grandfather gave me once. They don’t quit poems.  Challenges provide people with a chance to grow and become better.  Most successful people faced challenges that allowed them to develop the strength to achieve their goals.

Persistence Grows Your Best

When you are persistent and keep moving forward, it can be the best personal development program there is. Skills you didn’t have must be developed, and talents unknown rise to the surface.  These are treasures that would remain buried if there was no need for persistence in your actions to move toward your goals.

Look at your own story closely. Were there times you had to dig deep to get something accomplished? Where you tried and failed at first? But you kept going.  Most people have been in these situations.  The amazing thing is that most often, we can do things, that without the challenge, would never be realized. Having the gift to be persistent grows your best and allows you to share it with the world.  The saddest people I have seen are those who shy away from challenges because they are afraid of failing. Never trying means accomplishing anything.

It’s All In Front of You

When you look at your life as if it is taking place on a game board, these are the spaces you have already moved. Some were easy, and some were difficult, but they all led to where you are now. Whatever goal or reward you have chosen that you haven’t achieved yet, is another thought, feeling, action, and step away. To find it, there is only one choice to keep moving forward because it is not behind you or with you currently. It is all in front of you. Persistence gives you the strength to take the next roll or spin and move along the board. Like a game of Chutes and Ladders, it may lead to a quick rise or a step back, but it is all the move you need to get to the next step in your development, persist.

So be persistent today in your thoughts, words, and actions. Keep moving forward to the next step of your goals, growth, and development as a human being.  The only way to reach the finish line or win the game is to make the next move. No matter how scary it may seem. Persistence makes it all possible.

Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in. ~ Bill Bradley

“My greatest point is my persistence. I never give up in a match. However down I am, I fight until the last ball.”- Bjorn Borg

“The most interesting thing about a postage stamp is the persistence with which it sticks to the job.”- Napoleon Hill

“In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins – not through strength, but through persistence.” – Buddha

“You just can’t beat the person who never gives up.”- Babe Ruth