Happiness New Year

Not sure why I chose to write about a card game on 1 January 2009 (below), so I thought I'd top up my blog with a great big shout out to everyone: Happy New Year! Wishing you love, peace and happiness.

Zen and the Art of Playing Solitaire

Lately, I've developed a nasty little habit of playing solitaire on my ipod, almost incessantly. Of course I understand completely that this simple form of entertainment keeps me from more lofty pursuits such as reading, writing or, say, playing a musical instrument. However, I've discovered some key principles coming out of this practice, the first one being, er, the importance of practice. By playing the game regularly and repeatedly, I've learned a great deal about how to improve my game. Not from reading about it, or because someone showed me, just from practicing. Something to keep in mind when engaged in doing more essential work. Secondly, I've learned not to regret anything. In the game's programme, you have the opportunity to 'restart' the game after losing, and I've found that playing the game again didn't change the outcome. In life, forget 'what if' and stick to what you are doing; don't bother with wanting to start over! Lastly, and perhaps harder to pinpoint the broader application, it is important to differentiate among the suits and colors; by blurring the lines in your mind, you miss the right moves and your progress in the game may be stalled. So look carefully and know where things fit in the world. Play on!