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Clive Shearer
Management
by Design
By Clive Shearer

January 8, 1997

LEARNING THE RULES OF THE GAME

BY CLIVE SHEARER
Special to the Journal

As we start a new year, it is time to take stock of who we are and what we do in life. Sometimes it seems as if life is just a game. So I decided to write about the game of life.

Participating in the game of life is an unavoidable con sequence of birth. When you are young, you will believe that you know all the rules of the game, but you probably don't. When you are old you will believe that you don't know all the rules, but you probably will. If you keep score, you will inevitably believe that there are winners and losers.

Making many moves does not necessarily get you ahead in the game. In fact, life is often less chaotic and more pleasant if you have the patience to allow others to go ahead of you. I would guess that ninety percent of the players are unhappy with their current positions in the game. The wish they hadn't made the last move, or they are impatient to make the next move.

Surprise situations are an opportunity to use what you have learned. Some people forget what they have learned, use the wrong approach, or pretend that te situation is not really happening -- and consequently they will be surprised again. Sometimes they don't take advantage of an opportunity for joy because they won't recognize it, fear it, or believe it is undeserved. And sometimes they don't do what they know they can to avoid unhappiness -- because they are afraid of change.

Sometimes things go so well in life that it seems as if there are no rules and no need for rules. Sometimes things go wrong in life, and it seems there are too many rules blocking your path. We may even get the feeling that the rules were made especially hard to make life miserable. It is true that often the rules will appear to be unfair. Sometimes you will wonder who made the rules and ponder the purpose of the game.

Finally, you may realize that if you help others to play the game well and even give them points, you are discovering the real purpose of the game.


Clive Shearer is a professional trainer, educator and retreat facilitator and can be reached at cgb9@yahoo.com


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