The true power behind New Year’s

Posted by Murf72

January 1, 2008

Every New Year’s people come out with a list of goals. A list of things they want to change about themselves. A list of things they did wrong this past year and how they will change for this year. Why?

One reason seems obvious, because it is a fresh beginning, but the other is the reason I think we can learn so much from. That reason is a change of perspective. We take a moment to put our lives into perspective and reach a moment of clarity. We actually ask ourselves “What really is important?” and “What really is going to make me happy”. We realize some of the things we’ve spent time on that really don’t bring us happiness, and reach a moment of clarity regarding what will truly lead us toward a happy life. As poker players, we ask ourselves “What really is going to make me win more?” and our clarity helps us realize some of the things we’ve spent time on that don’t lead toward winning and we decide to focus on the things that will lead toward it.

Time and again in New Year’s resolutions you will notice so many people shift away from material things and away from powerful emotions like anger, jealousy, revenge, greed. They shift toward things like health, helping others, enjoying family and friends, and letting the little things go. In poker the shift is away from the same emotions and toward playing more solid and sticking with a plan.

That’s all good stuff, but it often fades as bad things happen to us, as life doesn’t go as we planned, as others mistreat us and our emotions takeover (the same things that happen at the poker table). But the truth is that we can keep things in perspective every day, and/or we can revisit our perspective every day and see clarity in life.

Easier said than done, of course, but the happier people in this world do exactly that. And so do the long term winners in poker.

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