Karma Baby

Some people think happiness is just a random stroke of good luck.  As though it will shine upon them like a sunny day...something they have no control over.  But that's not how happiness works.  Happiness is the end product of your effort.  You are the one in control of your happiness.  It's something you should seek out every day.  Finding your own personal happiness doesn't benefit just you either, it's a gift to others.  It just one more area where effort and hard work pays off.  You get what you put into it. 

It's karma baby.

The idea of karma really appeals to me both in life and luck, and when I ponder luck, I am ultimately thinking about poker.  Karma - We repeat the same mistakes over and over, banging our heads against the wall.  Making the same mistakes that generate the same miserable conseuquences.  Yet we think it's bad luck.  We're waiting for that ray of sun to randomly shine upon us instead of fixing problems and making changes.  Changes that will break the pattern.  Take care of the problem or it will just screw everything up again next time. 

I really think that's a major life lesson and poker lesson.  Next time that bad beat bothers you, instead of thinking "what a donk" try thinking, what could I have done differently?  Maybe you made the right call and got sucked out on so you think you're in the right, but maybe you shouldn't have even played that hand.  Maybe that's the lesson.  There are lessons everywhere if we just look for them, above and beyond "I was pot committed".

I lost my Step 3 ticket tonight. 

No, I didn't lose it to a donk.  I'm the one in control of what I lose.  I played my pocket jacks too hard.  I keep banging my head against that particular wall, hoping for a different outcome.  Perhaps I've learned this lesson.  I'll try something different next time and see if I can't get a different outcome.

Play smart.

Josie