Play The Game To Win

Your life is not but a blank canvas in which you paint your masterpiece over the course of your lifetime, you are born into a world built upon rules. As much as we may choose to think otherwise, it is a world governed by pre-established forces both natural and manmade. 

The world is a balancing act of forces imposing onto one another striving to settle on equilibrium. At a very young age, I learned that in order to get what I wanted, I had to give an equal amount in order to receive as certain level in return. If you take more than you give, that’s stealing on any level.

”You have to spend money to make money.”

“The love you take is equal to the love you make.” -Paul McCartney

My parents wouldn’t give unless I gave back, which was a pain because of my resistance to this arrangement. Once I understood that I simply don’t get just because I want, I slowly took more initiative for chores and offered to help when I saw my parents working on things. It didn’t go unnoticed. It was like a bargaining chip. It incentivized me to be helpful and was later used as an advantage in negotiations if I hoped to receive something of any kind. I’m only reflecting on this relationship as it pertains between a child and their parents, this ‘game’ eventually was not a game, but a rule about balance - teaching me to be more honest, trustworthy, respectful, loving and obedient in trade for all the same in return. If these rules of balance were not met, ripples turned into waves until equilibrium was met.

According to Jordan B. Peterson:

“Every game has rules. Some of the most important rules are implicit. You accept them merely by deciding to play the game. The first of these rules is that the game is important. If it wasn’t important, you wouldn’t be playing it. Playing a game defines it as important. The second is that moves undertaken during the game are valid if they help you win. If you make a move and it isn’t helping you win, then, by definition, it’s a bad move. You need to try something different.”