Moments — Two cards down and five cards up

The small blind

The big blind

Two cards down

The flop

The turn

The river

Best hand wins

These were the terms and concepts that we wrestled with on a Saturday night — the brand of poker that we had decided to play was Texas Hold'em and everyone around the table had either never played poker before or hadn't played in quite a while.

It was friendship that brought us to the table, and I'd wager, it was also the idea of learning something new, having some fun, and enjoying each other's company. The stakes weren't high (the pot was rarely higher than fifteen dollars) but an air of seriousness fell over the table because it was our hard earned money on the line. The objective of this game is simple — have the best five-card combination after all seven cards are dealt onto the table (two face down and five face up).

A Royal Flush beats a straight flush, which beats four of a kind, which beats a full house, which beats a flush, which beats a straight, which beats three of a kind, which beats two pair, which beats a pair, which ultimately beats the highest card of five. Ace is high, then King, Queen, Jack, ten, nine, and so on (by the way, the ace can be both high or low).

Some people had more fun than others, and not surprisingly, it was related to how much money they lost and how well they understood the game — but everyone said they would play again (adding a comment or two that they would study up on the game for the next time). For me, with an extra sixty dollars in my pocket, the experience became a homespun reminder that everyone, no matter how good they are at what they do, will have to work through a learning curve when they attempt something new, and it may be steep, and it will take time.

I look forward to the next time we play to see how everyone is progressing towards "mastery". There is a very good chance I will give back some of that sixty dollars.

iamgpe

Different only happens when you do what you do differently.

"Doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result"

This is the popular urban definition of "insanity", and I suppose a formula for frustration, and definitely insight into the truisms of the universe and a window into the contradictory relationship between the desire for sameness and the need to do something differently. 

Although most certainly debatable, I will say it is the randomness of the universe and the free will that's inherently found in all of us that explains why everything is always in flux — sure there are universal laws that come into play, but it's randomness that has it rain on that outdoor party you've been planning for three weeks or it's free will that explains why a lawyer decides to quit his job and open up a coffee shop that puts your favourite haunt out of business. For good or bad, right or wrong, the world around us is always changing — it's something we are constantly dealing with and something we are constantly trying to control. We work very hard to create an environment that is understood, familiar, consistent and dependable, and this is crucial for our well-being, security, and quality of life. We need the familiarity of "sameness" when we get home after a long day or when we are manufacturing 1,000,000 widgets.

And so the dance begins as we hold on to that "sameness" we have created and then forever struggle to protect it from the randomness and free will in the world — and even crazier still, we intuitively know that as the world changes, we need to change with it. It's this contradictory dance that allows us to create that environment of "sameness" we so very much need to progress over the long run. It's important to point out the tools we use to maintain control of that familiar, consistent and dependable environment are not the tools we need to change with the world — and this brings it back to the quote "doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result" (which it seems, and rightfully so, is truly the definition of insanity).

The tools we need to "change with the world" are all about doing things differently; not doing it the same.

• The mindset to understand the need to do things differently.
• The ability to communicate why it is important to do things differently.
• The ability to actually do what you do differently.

It's in understanding we need to think and do things differently that we are actually closer to controlling a perpetually changing world.

iamgpe

Moments — reflections in the window

One day it was there and the next day it wasn't — what had looked like a successful small business was now empty. The sign in the window didn't offer any insight as to why but rather that the owner was off to his next adventure.

IF "YOUR" READING THIS   IT'S TOO LATE... SORELLA TORONTO

ON TO THE NEXT ONE

It may have been the result of an increase in square footage or maybe the new competition that was literally two doors down (or maybe one of the dozens of other issues that face a business each and every day). Whatever the reason, all that was left was a hand written sign in the window and the reflections of a business that once was

This hasn't been the only one of late — there is an obvious transition going on between the old and the new in the neighbourhood.

As I mentioned, I can only hazard a guess to why this happened, but after reading the last line on the notice I can't help believe that the why is secondary to the acknowledgement that things happen, and that you have to keep moving forward.

ON TO THE NEXT ONE

It is a reminder that "no one" said it was easy, and that things are not destined to go your way, and what is "working so well today" may not "work so well tomorrow"... it is a reminder to move forward no matter what has happened. 

And I suppose, a reminder that how you handle a situation is really a reflection of you.

iamgpe