The Hidden Game of How To Get Ahead In Life
Most of us work hard all our lives just to keep afloat. Most of us find that success requires effort and investment, both physical and mental. But for some people, the best things in life are free. Many of these "winners" have little or nothing to offer the outside world. Nonetheless, unlike the rest of us, they are blessed with lives of comfort and wealth.
This is because they know how to play by different rules. Rules which govern a hidden game played by all society, unbeknownst to most of those caught up in it.
Imagine being in a dark room full of people. With your natural eye you can barely make out their silhouettes " but with night vision goggles, you would have an advantage over the entire crowd.
And this is what I offer to those of you who are ordinary, everyday people, fumbling blindly around in the dark. I can help you to see what's really going on.
The truth is that we're all caught up in a vast game being played throughout society - in the local pub, in our schools and where we work. Most people have no idea that the game exists, but for those who are aware of it, it functions as their get-out-of-gaol-free pass; their free ticket. I can offer you a way to take them on at their own game, and even to beat them.
The losers in this game - the everyday people like you and me - are too often the losers because we play by the rules, while the undeserving cheat their way to fame and fortune.
So what is this Hidden Game and how is it played in the arenas of our life? While we, the rank and file, are busy grasping at the brass ring, a small group of insiders, the Players, are coolly and cynically, manipulating the strings.
It is the Players who get the furthest in life, often coming to occupy positions of great power and responsibility. The rest of us are left trailing in their wake, futilely casting around for some crumbs which they have let fall from their elevated tables.
Most life-skills coaches seem to ignore this reality, preferring to preach the gospel of goals, positive attitude and focused application of ones strengths, and there is some merit to such an approach. Its true that without a goal we have no direction, and without skills based on your strong suit, no success is sustainable. So yes, with a life-skills coach you could grab a few more crumbs than your neighbor. However, that approach alone will still keep you in the dark as to whats really going on around you. As you rejoice over your newly acquired crumbs, the Players slip by unnoticed, their hands full of stolen goods.
Unless you have a guide to show you how to play the game - a rulebook to alert you to the opportunities - you will simply remain stuck in a rut, unable to break into the prosperous world of the players. Without the 'social-vision goggles' I spoke of, it's very much a matter of luck or fate whether we make any progress at all. We are subject to the will of fortune, with little or no control over our own futures.
This is because they know how to play by different rules. Rules which govern a hidden game played by all society, unbeknownst to most of those caught up in it.
Imagine being in a dark room full of people. With your natural eye you can barely make out their silhouettes " but with night vision goggles, you would have an advantage over the entire crowd.
And this is what I offer to those of you who are ordinary, everyday people, fumbling blindly around in the dark. I can help you to see what's really going on.
The truth is that we're all caught up in a vast game being played throughout society - in the local pub, in our schools and where we work. Most people have no idea that the game exists, but for those who are aware of it, it functions as their get-out-of-gaol-free pass; their free ticket. I can offer you a way to take them on at their own game, and even to beat them.
The losers in this game - the everyday people like you and me - are too often the losers because we play by the rules, while the undeserving cheat their way to fame and fortune.
So what is this Hidden Game and how is it played in the arenas of our life? While we, the rank and file, are busy grasping at the brass ring, a small group of insiders, the Players, are coolly and cynically, manipulating the strings.
It is the Players who get the furthest in life, often coming to occupy positions of great power and responsibility. The rest of us are left trailing in their wake, futilely casting around for some crumbs which they have let fall from their elevated tables.
Most life-skills coaches seem to ignore this reality, preferring to preach the gospel of goals, positive attitude and focused application of ones strengths, and there is some merit to such an approach. Its true that without a goal we have no direction, and without skills based on your strong suit, no success is sustainable. So yes, with a life-skills coach you could grab a few more crumbs than your neighbor. However, that approach alone will still keep you in the dark as to whats really going on around you. As you rejoice over your newly acquired crumbs, the Players slip by unnoticed, their hands full of stolen goods.
Unless you have a guide to show you how to play the game - a rulebook to alert you to the opportunities - you will simply remain stuck in a rut, unable to break into the prosperous world of the players. Without the 'social-vision goggles' I spoke of, it's very much a matter of luck or fate whether we make any progress at all. We are subject to the will of fortune, with little or no control over our own futures.
About the Author:
John Berling Hardy is dedicated to debunking the myths which frame our world. For more of his writings please visit www.playingtheplayers.com. This and other unique content '' articles are available with free reprint rights.