Play your cards right

“Life is like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt you represents determinism; the way you play it is free will.”
– Jawaharlal Nehru (first Prime Minister of India)

“Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well.”
– Josh Billings (American humourist, 1818-1885)

Whatever the hand life has dealt us, we can find ways of winning. This website/blog is about the strategies and tricks that have helped me transform myself from a confused, sad, angry loser at life into a confident player who wins most of the time and is no longer thrown by the odd stroke of bad luck. We’re never going to win every round but that doesn’t matter; it’s how we deal with losing that determines whether we go on losing or turn the tables.

Here are a few suggestions to start you off:

Take some time to analyse the game. Stand back and ask yourself some questions, such as: What is the object of this game – or have you lost sight of that? Indeed, is this actually the game you thought it was – or have you been playing snap while everyone else has been manoeuvering at poker?

Tune into the ‘tells’ of your fellow players. Learn to read the signs that indicate what cards other people may be holding and how they might be feeling, both about their hands and how you’re playing yours.

Play the game your own way. Who made the rules of the game you’re playing? Is it time these rules were bent, broken, changed, ignored? You don’t have to play your cards in the way dictated by your parents, partner, boss or anyone else. This is your life. Live it in a way that will bring long-term fulfilment to you.

52 Ways to Improve Your Life

There are 52 playing cards in a pack and 52 weeks in a year. Let’s look at a card – or an issue – a week and think about how we can play it to best advantage.

Every Tuesday throughout 2013, I’ll be posting a suggestion, based on my own experience, that I hope will lead to an improvement in your life, as it has in mine. I’m still far from an expert at this game but I’m a substantially better player than I used to be and I’m keen to share what I’ve learnt.

I’d love to know what you think and to hear any variations and alternative ideas you may have – and the more of us who share what we’ve learnt, the faster progress we can all make – so do please comment and get involved when you feel moved to do so.