Playing cards or any type of gambling has elements of risk attached to it. Like they say, you never bet money that you can't afford to lose. It's like investing in the stock market or cryptocurrency. Instead of gambling, you're betting money based on the odds. Now back to the story.
Games of chance have risks, and there are parts you can influence and parts controlled by others or fate. I think understanding the rules of the game deeply is important. This way you understand your odds of winning or losing. The other aspect of the game is environmental. There are some games that you have less control over and other games where your odds are slightly better. Another factor is the people that you surround yourself with. If you play poker professionally and others don't know the rules, they can quickly ruin your chances. The key here is to be around good people who understand the game and are willing to work together to overcome challenges, whether it's your own or someone else's. Remember that business or goal attainment to a certain degree is a team sport. No one achieves much alone in business. We rely on customers, face competition, and are affected by the environment. It's not just about competing with others, but also about recognizing market opportunities, pursuing your fair share, and realizing that the world is full of possibilities. In business school, we study a book that discusses the concepts of red ocean strategy and blue ocean strategy. The lesson is that when we are in the right place and pursuing the right goals, the world offers abundant opportunities. We just need to be in the right place and seek the right opportunities. However, if you are in a small pond, and it's filled with bull sharks, good luck, you're probably going to be bitten a few times or eaten.
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Another important point is understanding that a well-thought-out plan is only as effective as the person executing it and their ability to adapt to change. That there's something that we didn't know or could have never thought of, and it changes our results. In life, when something emotional happens, we rely on our emotional intelligence and coping skills to survive tragic or hurtful situations. In business, unexpected events can occur that are beyond our control. We need to learn how to handle these situations and make the most of them, even if they are challenging. Having a plan is great. It helps you anticipate risks and have strategies in place to deal with them. Be prepared with alternative plans to keep moving forward if something goes wrong. Challenges are inevitable, but our ability to adapt and move forward is crucial for our personal and professional growth. Sometimes when people face adversity, many people crumble. They lack emotional intelligence, coping skills, and see themselves as unlucky or a victim of somebody else's actions. What they fail to see is they landed in that spot because of their own actions or their own inaction. Their prolonged distress stems from their difficulties in managing challenging situations, which are exacerbated by their low emotional intelligence. I think it's important for people to build those skills and learn to be resilient. That doesn't mean that we don't have the same emotions as every other human, we do. We all feel sad or angry at times, and we may feel that a situation is unfair and that someone or something is targeting us. That's simply not true. Everyone in the world faces similar challenges, but it's how we deal with them and where we focus our energy that determines the final result. So if I am dealt a bad hand, I'm going to put my weak cards down and deal with the new cards I'm dealt and make the best of the situation. As long as I win way more than I lose, I can be successful. But I assure you there are going to be situations personally and professionally where you are going to lose. If you keep going, even if you lose once and win four times, you might face some setbacks, but in the end, you will succeed. I'm talking about business, but these rules apply to all areas of life as well. It could be relationships, your spirituality, financial security, or any other thing of importance in your life's framework.
Just remember that it's up to you how you react and how you pivot when life deals you a bad hand of cards. Some days you're going to get terrible cards and lose that round. Other days you will be smiling ear to ear when everything is coming up aces.