Life Is A Game And This Is How You Win At Being Human
Rule #1: The rules can be changed at any time.
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Over a decade ago, I read a book that got me thinking about how life felt similar to a multi-level game.
It put me in the mindset that the more intimately I knew the rules and the better I got at navigating them, the more levels I could ‘unlock’ to my advantage…and win.
Since then, I’ve won some and lost plenty, but more than anything, it taught me that winning isn’t about keeping a scorecard of accomplishments or being better than everyone else — it’s about learning how to be a better human.
That book was called If Life Is A Game, These Are The Rules by Chérie Carter-Scott.
Having experienced more of life (and my first pandemic) since I first read Life Is A Game, I felt that it was time to write a post inspired by it.
And so, let the games begin:
Rule #1: The Rules Can Be Changed At Any Time.
“Be fast, have no regrets. If you need to be right before you move, you will never win.”
~Dr. Michael Ryan, Executive Director, WHO
If there’s one thing that the COVID-19 pandemic taught us, it’s that no matter which path we’re on, life can throw us a non-negotiable, 180-degree turn up a steep slope before throwing us into a roller-coaster ride — at any moment and without warning.
When will the roller-coaster madness end? Nobody knows.
And so the rules that you’ve been so used to playing by day in and day out for years? They can be re-written practically overnight.
To thrive as a human, you’ll need to be able to be ready to meet them with an open mind, put your seatbelt on, then work up the courage to adapt and reinvent yourself.
And do it fast.
Rule #2: Humility Will Take You A Long Way.
“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.”
~C.S. Lewis
Going about your business with an air of know-it-all arrogance can gain you some attention, but it won’t earn you any respect.
