You’ve probably heard the expression “Life is but a game”. What if you were to discover that the well-lived life consists of a series of games that are worth playing because we are going for goals that matter? It’s true! And in order to win you must know what lies at the very heart of every interesting and worthwhile game.
Imagine– you’re on a soccer team, and before a game your coach announces the other team couldn’t make it, but you’re going to play anyway. On the field, you have the ball, you run for the goal and score – easy when there’s no one blocking your shot. This happens time and time again. How long before you are bored to death? No one wants to lose, but we do want a challenge. Games worth playing contain the chance to win or lose, and winning involves overcoming obstacles.
Obstacles are at the heart of every interesting and worthwhile game. Yes, obstacles – those objections, disruptions intent on blocking our progress. We try to be prepared, but sometimes they pop up out of nowhere.
They’re expected when it comes to sports, but in our own lives the single most noted reason we don’t begin to play for what we truly want is fear of the obstacles we know or even just suspect we’ll encounter. Or – we give up when we run into an unexpected one. Can you imagine being a soccer player, getting blocked by an opponent, and then stopping on the spot and walking off the field because there wasn’t supposed to be any opposition? No! Obstacles are part of the game of soccer and the game of life.
Obstacles are often deflating frustrating events. They can cause us to question ourselves, our abilities and even the goal itself. But what if we saw that what happens when we’re challenged is exactly what is supposed to happen? What if we saw obstacles as a sign that we’re doing something right, not something wrong? With this understanding, wouldn’t we be encouraged to keep going; to develop the needed skill to master the obstacles?
Take a few minutes and think back to a peak experience in your life. Were you required to learn something new or otherwise stretch yourself beyond your comfort zone?
Here’s my quick tip: Stop thinking of your obstacles as obstacles, and start thinking of them as invaluable opportunities to grow. No obstacles; no growth. Remember that they are at the heart of every interesting and worthwhile game and keep just playing to win!
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