Poker is life, life is poker. I am convinced of that.
The more you know about either, the better you will do at the other.
Lessons are everywhere about both.
BAD BEATS. Continuously refocus on what really matters – what matters most in anybody’s life, which is the present moment. People don’t realize that now is all there ever is; there is no past or future except as memory or anticipation in your mind. (Eckhart Tolle. Oprah & Friends on XM Satellite Radio.)
TABLE FOCUS. Watch Alabama’s football team any Saturday in the Fall. Watch Tiger Woods in his red shirt on a Sunday afternoon.
VALUE BETTING. Always getting what you ask for in a negotiation – always hearing yes and never risking no – means you never ask for enough. Excessive caution, rather than protecting you… can actually prevent you from getting all that you’re worth, all you deserve, and all that’s available…. (Linda Babcock & Sara Laschever – Ask For It: How Women Can Use the Power of Negotiation to Get What They Really Want.)
TABLE MANNERS/ONLINE CHAT. “Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit.” (Patrick Jane, The Mentalist.)
TILT CONTROL. “The more you get mad, the worse you bowl. I went right through the nose (the head pin) on that last ball, so I walked away and concentrated on calming down.” (Jay Lynch before rolling a perfect game.)
TABLE SELECTION. There are some armies that should not be fought. There is some ground that should not be contested. (Sun Tzu. History Channel.)
BANKROLL MANAGEMENT. Daily physical activity lowers the risk of a multitude of ailments, from heart disease to diabetes to certain kinds of cancer, which are obviously expensive to treat, even for people who have health insurance.
A Harvard study found medical bills are behind 60 percent of U.S. bankruptcies, and more than 75 percent of bankrupt families had health insurance at the onset of the illness.
PLAYING YOUR A-GAME. Studies have found exercise can improve your performance at work by boosting cognitive skills and productivity, and reducing stress and absenteeism. (Laura Rowley – Money & Happiness.)
MORE A-GAME. “You have to have a short memory. When you win, you want to have a short memory and move on to the next game. And when you lose, you’ve got to be able to do the same.” (Jim Leavitt, football coach, University of South Florida.)
READING YOUR OPPONENT. The present moment is your life. It’s nowhere else – never, ever. So, no matter what the situation is when you align yourself with the present moment, find something to be grateful for. Gratitude is an essential part of being present. When you go deeply into the present, gratitude arises spontaneously, even if it’s just gratitude for breathing, gratitude for the aliveness that you feel in your body. Gratitude is there when you acknowledge the aliveness of the present moment; that’s the foundation for successful living. Once you’ve made the present moment into your friend through openness and acceptance, your actions will be inspired, intelligent, and empowered, because the power of life will be flowing through you. (Eckhart Tolle, Oprah magazine.)
I am alive. I am grateful.