Games of life

One of the things that I find amazing is how many childhood games are played in very different cultures… For instance, hide-and-seek.

You know the drill: one person is chosen to find others, they close their eyes and count, giving time to others to hide themselves. You are found, you lose!

Now, let’s translate that to our present environment, supposing you don’t play that game anymore…

There is a conflict or a situation of crisis among a few people. One of the them, the leader, is with their eyes closed, that is, the leader does not know exactly the cause or the solution for it.

However, there is SOMEONE in their team who knows; maybe they have studied more or they have an experience the leader does not have. The game is to find that person.

When the person is found via interviews or informal conversations, at last the leader has the key to solve the situation.

It is possible the leader does not know who has the key, so they have to go through everyone patiently, talking, trying and checking the results.

It could be a company or a family, a platoon or a group of college students, anytime we think of a group of people as a team, the hide-and-seek game is one way to deal with a crisis. You are found, all win!

In reality, all crisis, big or small, are a chance for us to play with other people, changing roles and activities, challenging ideas and paradigms.

But there is always the risk we forget our ability to play and use other tools, like a fight or even a war.

Please, don’t forget the days of your childhood… and use them as a valuable experience for anything that is taking place right now.

Discovering that part of yourself that is hidden from you and others

Johari Window: exploring the hidden parts…

 

You have a secret! And it is so deep that not even you know it!

There is a game that can be useful. It is imperative that everyone knows each other.

• Create a table of qualities and talents. Cut them and give the cut table to each person, that is, each person should have many pieces of paper! The important thing is that everyone has the same thing.
• In front of each person, there are four boxes. 1) OTHERS & I; 2) OTHERS, NOT ME; 3) I, NOT OTHERS; 4) NEITHER I NOR OTHERS. There should be a space BEFORE the boxes in such a way that you are sitting, then there are the boxes and the empty space.
• The game starts by rounds in this way:
1. First round. Choose the qualities that apply to you (I). Put those littler papers in front of you, before the boxes in such a way that anyone can read. Keep the papers you are not using by your side somewhere.
2. Second round. Walk around the room and read the papers others chose; the ones you agree that person has it, pick them up and put in their box #1 (OTHERS & I). The ones YOU DON’T AGREE or you DON’T KNOW it, pick them up and put in their box #3 (I, NOT OTHERS).
3. Third round. Go back to your seat and pick the papers you didn’t use. Now, go around and distribute ALL the little papers by identifying those people who have that quality; put them in their box #2 (OTHERS, NOT ME). Some little papers will remain, I am sure.
4. Fourth round. This is a bit of a guess: the qualities that remained, just put them in your own box #4 (NEITHER ME NOR OTHERS).
5. To finish the game, check the boxes for repetitions and reflect on them, understanding where those qualities should be and eliminating the extra; the idea is that no quality shows in more than one box.

Well, this game is funny and I am sure you will enjoy it, but let me focus on the box # 4: NEITHER ME NOR OTHERS.

Those qualities are extremely important because you are not sure about them and others can’t help you either. However, there is the possibility part of your potential is in that box.

It is possible that thing you feel is missing in your life is in that box.

Maybe the solution for part of your problems is in that box.

Check those qualities and work on them, systematically. Maybe you will realize some of those are just pieces of paper.

But if even one is more than a paper and it will contribute in your life, it is worthwhile to check that mysterious box.

The puzzle of our lives

I loved puzzles for a big part of my childhood. They used to help me deal with the situations I was going through, they stimulated my mind and they gave me an odd satisfaction when I was able to solve them.

And even when I was not able to solve them, I still felt so happy! After all, the effort itself gave me a new energy to do other things in life.

So… one way of looking at my life has been to see it as if it is a big puzzle. Sometimes, it requires patience; other times, determination. There are times I must take a break and other times, I have to work on it until completing it.

Puzzles have a few components to bear in my mind and maybe this will help you solving the puzzle of your life:

They have a very clear aim or objective. Although, its clarity is relative and many times it comes from reflection. What is your aim right now?

They have several pieces or clues, which don’t have meaning individually, but when you join them you are able to create a whole picture. Check for signs life has left you; it maybe a new opportunity, the loss of a chance or something someone spoke.

There is a method to solve. The method will help to glue the pieces together and create a meaningful picture at the end. How are you going to solve your puzzle?

Ah, you also need some reserved time and space… You have to create the proper environment so you can solve them faster. Which environment is the right one to dedicate and solve the puzzle of your life?

Good luck, I am sure you will be able to solve it and help others solving theirs.

Your goals are easily fulfilled - Reason 73

Life is like a big and apparently endless game and, whether you want or not, as you are playing, you are looking forward to score a goal.  Many goals…

However, it is complicated and that is part of the game.  The adversary won’t allow you to do that easily; similarly, in life, we have many adversaries, which are the many circumstances that look like they are trying to prevent us to succeed, to score a goal or fulfil an objective.  Most people simply enjoy playing the game, forgetting their own goals.

A leader doesn’t follow that idea; she or he has always a strategy or tactic to overcome these obstacles and to fulfil his or her aim.  After all, when leaders score a goal, they are doing for all the people in relationship with them as they inspire them to do the same with their own lives.

(Excerpt from the book 82 Reasons to be a Leader)

Life becomes a challenging wonderful game - Reason 12

Have you ever been to a game and felt horrible because your team or country was not winning?  And yet, after that, you probably went to ‘celebrate’ anyway, even though it was in a bad mood... 

Just like the people who celebrated victory, your team’s defeat turned into a subject to talk about with friends, so it became a means for enjoying a relationship with others.  Eventually, you forget the loss and start to hope for victory next time.

That is the magic of games: even though you lose, you are still a winner inside.  The reason is the effect games have on people: they enjoy them, but also want to win.  Enjoyment and competition coexist, which allows you to see the loss as something small, something that will make you laugh at some point.

For leaders, life is THE game, and so being a leader is to be enjoying and competing all the time.

(Excerpt from the book 82 Reasons to be a Leader)