Whenever she pulled her Chevy Nova into the parking lot of of the 7-11 on Blosser Road to pick up a lottery ticket, my Mother would say "If you don't play, you can't win." Of course we all know what the chances of actually winning the lottery are, but she had a point.
I won't pretend to be the first person to use this old saying as a metaphor for life, but I would like to examine it a little closer for just a minute...
First, you have to decide what kind of player you are, and what the objective of the game is.
Pragmatics: The pragmatic person often seeks higher education, and follows the rule book their handed to a T. They tend to excel at the game because they play by the rules. Unfortunately, whether they believe they've won it or not ,is often colored by the level of "success" or perceived success they achieve along the way. Like trading in your 4 houses for a hotel in Monopoly. Less aggressive pragmatics will sit back and let the game run its course if they don't believe they have "the stuff" it takes to win, or do what it is they really want to do.
Dreamers: Pragmatics may grease the wheels that make the world spin round, however it's the dreamers who set them in motion. Dreamers eschew the rule book their handed, and write their own. They catalyst change and invention. But there are 2 kinds of dreamers as well. The dreamer who is content to play architect, but not do the work necessary to build the dream, will be continuously disappointed in life because dreaming alone does not make a life lived. Unwilling to make sacrifice, they are likely to end up just as bitter as the person who got the good grades and went to the right schools... only to find out later the rule book never mentioned that her husband could leave her for his secretary, or that his daughter might end up a pothead!
Pragmatic or Dreamer, you have to have to play the game in order to win. In other words you gotta do the work, and have faith in the outcome- WHATEVER it is. More importantly, you must be willing to accept [and be okay with] the fact that things don't always go the way we want. In playing any game you have to realize that you're not going to win every hand you're dealt. Sometimes you even need to skip a turn, or sit-out a round to replenish your stamina.
Or lick your wounds. It's cool.
Anyone who knows me knows that I'm the Dreamer type. But I also PLAY. Over the years I've had more creative endeavors than Meryl Streep's had Oscar nominations. Do they always work out? No. Would I like to be financially secure and have dental insurance as I careen towards 40? Yes, just ask my tooth that needs a root canal. But I'm an artist, and I'm writing my own rule book as I go along. To the pragmatic, there could be no riskier or irresponsible behavior. To the player intent on carving his or her own path, there is no other option.
Mom never did win the lottery, but she did spark a fire inside her son that refuses to be extinguished. I'm writing my own rule book AND I'm playing the game. Will I win? Well the beauty of writing your own rules means that when the game is over, you will be the only one who can define whether or not you've won.
What's my objective? It's very simple. TO PLAY, always to play.
For the love of life, the game itself.
I won't pretend to be the first person to use this old saying as a metaphor for life, but I would like to examine it a little closer for just a minute...
First, you have to decide what kind of player you are, and what the objective of the game is.
Pragmatics: The pragmatic person often seeks higher education, and follows the rule book their handed to a T. They tend to excel at the game because they play by the rules. Unfortunately, whether they believe they've won it or not ,is often colored by the level of "success" or perceived success they achieve along the way. Like trading in your 4 houses for a hotel in Monopoly. Less aggressive pragmatics will sit back and let the game run its course if they don't believe they have "the stuff" it takes to win, or do what it is they really want to do.
Dreamers: Pragmatics may grease the wheels that make the world spin round, however it's the dreamers who set them in motion. Dreamers eschew the rule book their handed, and write their own. They catalyst change and invention. But there are 2 kinds of dreamers as well. The dreamer who is content to play architect, but not do the work necessary to build the dream, will be continuously disappointed in life because dreaming alone does not make a life lived. Unwilling to make sacrifice, they are likely to end up just as bitter as the person who got the good grades and went to the right schools... only to find out later the rule book never mentioned that her husband could leave her for his secretary, or that his daughter might end up a pothead!
Pragmatic or Dreamer, you have to have to play the game in order to win. In other words you gotta do the work, and have faith in the outcome- WHATEVER it is. More importantly, you must be willing to accept [and be okay with] the fact that things don't always go the way we want. In playing any game you have to realize that you're not going to win every hand you're dealt. Sometimes you even need to skip a turn, or sit-out a round to replenish your stamina.
Or lick your wounds. It's cool.
Anyone who knows me knows that I'm the Dreamer type. But I also PLAY. Over the years I've had more creative endeavors than Meryl Streep's had Oscar nominations. Do they always work out? No. Would I like to be financially secure and have dental insurance as I careen towards 40? Yes, just ask my tooth that needs a root canal. But I'm an artist, and I'm writing my own rule book as I go along. To the pragmatic, there could be no riskier or irresponsible behavior. To the player intent on carving his or her own path, there is no other option.
Mom never did win the lottery, but she did spark a fire inside her son that refuses to be extinguished. I'm writing my own rule book AND I'm playing the game. Will I win? Well the beauty of writing your own rules means that when the game is over, you will be the only one who can define whether or not you've won.
What's my objective? It's very simple. TO PLAY, always to play.
For the love of life, the game itself.
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