How do you define success?
Many times when we ask someone this question, the answer is followed by something that contains the words, “lots of money”. I have to admit that just like the next gal, I would love to have a little extra cash to do some fun things, buy some new clothes whenever I wanted and hire a maid for a house that seems too dirty too often.
With that said, I would say that I am successful, in fact very successful. Now, my success is not defined by the money in my bank account. In fact most days, I check my bank account online to make sure I haven’t forgotten anything and that there are no big surprises that I may have forgotten. I think I manage my money well, but it’s probably because it is not a very large sum to begin with.
So how am I successful? Well there are several ways that I measure this. One key to my success is my family. I am very blessed to be in a family that spends a lot of time together. One thing we often do when we are together is play cards. There are so many things that can come from a game of cards. Besides a great way to spend time together, cards allow opportunities for life lessons. The teacher in me says it is a great way for the younger ones to learn math skills when they keep score. But it far more than that.
Playing cards allows opportunities to practice how to be a good winner and a gracious loser. It fills me with pride to watch as my parents pass along these life lessons. I admire seeing the progression of these lessons from the times when my mom and dad tried very hard to lose a game to build up confidence in my daughter or another one of their grandchildren. As the kids have grown older, I have watched with equal pride when my parents have played their best game and helped these same little ones learn how to lose with dignity and refrain from acting in an embarrassing manner when they do.
In a family you learn how to view the world, how to respond when things go well for you and when things go wrong. I am grateful for the experiences I have been given in order to become who I am today and love watching these same values being passed along to the next generation.
Just last night, I was sitting at the table watching my daughter, my nephew and my mom and dad playing cards. My daughter kept leaning over and asking me what to do. My dad said, “Trust yourself and your abilities, sweetie.” That message makes me confident that in cards and in life, she will be a success because she has been told she can.
