It's all a game

After the very "positive" feedback I recieved about my first arcticle I am full of motivation to continue. This feedback included statements like pathetic, bad written and many more critics. I was really thinking about writing in german since there exists obviously a gab between what I want to express and what people read. But as in poker I simply ignore these comments and continue. It's all a game!

I heard this saying today at Chiren's video stream and I was comparing this to how I see my life. Actually I even made it part of a discussion I had with a girl back home. So is it all a game? Poker, relationships, work or life itself? My current answer would be YES. It's all a game - no need to be to serious about everything in life. Let me try to further elaborate my thoughts on this.

People often ask me how I like my work and if it is not exhausting. I always assure them that the work is part of my good mood. Of course it is, otherwise I should seriously consider to quit my job, shouldn't I? Then people ask me about the why. I then tell them, because I don't take things too serious. Often I look into confused faces and people reply if you don't need to be focused and serious about work. Now its about me to look confused. Then I clarify my point. To see things as a game does not mean that you are not interested to be a good player and make your way to the top. Of course this can include to be serious and be responsible. People often think these things do not go very well along with each other. I don't think so.

When I play poker it's most of the time for fun. Nonetheless I don't want to be one of these funny clowns to sit down and loose their money. What an attitude is this anyways. I want to be good at what I do. One could say I am pretty competitive and I am, but I can loose. I don't like to loose, but it's obvious that you can't always win. Nonetheless I enjoy playing poker even I loose sometimes.

It is the same with work and many things I do in my life. Sometimes I put everything I have into something. Still it is not enough. Others might not like what I did or they say I didn't get the point. Well, shit happens. Shall I feel like a douche bag now? I don't think so. Of course I accept critics, but some things can't be changed within hours. You might need some time to fix it.

Seeing my job as a game is so easy. I have  a particular problem and need to solve it. Let's get it on. I am annoyed by people telling me - you could do your living with poker. Maybe I really could, but sitting 8 hours in front of my computer, playing poker all day long, study my hands and thinking about how to improve my game simply is not how I imagine my life to be. Don't get me wrong - I love poker, but do I want to spend the rest of my life playing one game and earning my living with it. For sure not! Way to boring. Do I want to be a person that makes his way through a pascours of living human beens, act strategic, solve problems, take responsibility and lead my clan to total vicotry - that sounds awesome to me.

When I told this to the girl I had the discussion with she asked: "What's with a palestinian who just lost all his family in an air strike?". Well of course this idea is more appropriate to our society and people who are bored of work and all that. Still we got both to the conclusion that in order to continue your life you need to find an explanation for all that. We are damn little in comparison to whats outside of this earth, our thinking and the reach we have. How can you overcome such a situation?  Simply if you put it in some perspective. Game over for your family. Of course you can commit suicide or bomb yourself in Isreal. Will that make anything better? Will it make you feel better? No. Instead you can say to yourself. Well, they are gone, but I believe they wait somewhere for me. I continue to go on and do the unthinkable. I rise up on my feet again, try to make a diffrence and when the game is over for me. What can I loose?

We both agreed that this is a pretty drastic thought and maybe a bit to far from reality. In some parts of the world people physically fight for their survival. That is not a fucking game it is fucking real. The game thing is more applicable to people who psycholgical struggle, because they don't see an overall sense. I went even further and said, maybe it's just something that works for me. I compared it to love. When you find it you know it's the right thing for you. Seeing everything as a game is the right thing for me. Is it the right thing for you?