Words of wisdom for this week.
“Life is difficult. But, it is only hard for those people who expect life to be easy.”
– M. Scott Peck
Life is a game – You will win some, you will lose some and most of the time you will break even. You won’t win them all, lose them all or often get what you think you want. But you still have to stay in the game.
Many people, when life throws them a curve or bad break choose to quit the game. Sorry folks, you can leave your career, retire, start a new business, move to another state, get divorced or even vegetate on your deck day in and day out drinking beer, but you can’t leave the game until your last breath. I have met so many people during my life as a speaker and author who feel that life isn’t fair so they decide to drop out, leave, move on – whatever. What these people soon realize is that they have to take themselves into every new life activity and relationship. This has been one of my hardest lessons in life – that no matter where I am, what I am doing, or who I am with – I am always there. I believe it was Pogo who said – “Everywhere I go, there I am.” You can’t leave yourself behind. It might be nice sometimes or even beneficial, but no such luck.
Where are you in the game of life right now? Winning? Losing? Breaking even? Frustrated? Anxious? Wishing for more or better? Just holding on by a thread? I’ve been there friends, several times in fact. But, each time I found the courage to draw a line in the sand and say to myself, “No matter what you do or don’t do, the sun will come up tomorrow and you have another day to:
- feel sorry for yourself
- stay angry
- quit again
- feel stressed and anxious
- stay frustrated or,
- try harder
- start over
- have faith and hope
- learn a lesson
- begin again
- do something positive with what you have been given
- etc. etc. etc.
Over time, after enough pain, discouragement and disappointment I finally learned that no matter what my circumstances – there would always be another sunrise to begin or try again. I couldn’t quit. Oh yes, I could whine, complain, rant and rave, but I couldn’t quit the game. Then I came to realize that it wasn’t the outcome of the game that mattered at all, but that every day I played – accepting my losses and celebrating my victories no matter how big or trivial I just needed to stay in the game doing the best I had within me at the time.
So, I ask you again, where are you in the game of life and what are you doing while you are in it?