I have read all of Amy Tan's books starting with the Joy Luck Club, Kitchen God's Wife, The Hundred Secret Senses, and more. Each book carries the reader to the Far East and often, the author mentions people playing the game of Mahjongg, an ancient Chinese game of skill, strategy, and calculation with a certain amount of luck. Hmm...MahJongg... What kind of game is that? As luck would have it, a friend called me and said she had learned to play Mahjongg recently and she invited me to learn how to play. I didn't know anyone who played Mahjongg, no matter how you spell it (Mah-jongg or Mah-jong). I didn't know the game was available in the US. Reaction and Reflection on Learning Something New I wondered, do I have time to learn the how to play the game? You know, work vs. play. I wondered, would I catch on or need remedial Mahjongg for the slow learner. I decided to show up for the first learning session out of curiosity. I got hooked and committed to weekly playtime for a 2-hour session. After five sessions, as Professor Higgins would say, "By jove, I think she's got it!" And the added bonus, I made a few new friends and had a few laughs. Just like playing cards, there's an amount of memory, concentration and strategy involved. I think I stimulated a few brain cells! When is the last time you learned something new? As a life coach, I tell people I coach clients to get in the game of LIFE and not merely be spectators. I think it's easy to get sidelined in our lives and become spectators rather than participants when we get stressed, get overwhelmed, get older, get complacent in life or work. We think being on the bench will be easier and safe. Yet, I think, most of us want to get reinvolved, but don't want to fail. As we move from summer learning/activities to fall and winter, what has been on your mind? What has been calling to you? Take some time to sit down, check in with yourself and write it down. What am I curious about? What have you been thinking about, but put it on the back burner. Remember the movie, The Bucket List? We don't have to wait until we are running out of time. Maybe it's reading a book, joining the church choir, learning to knit, taking an online class, visiting a yoga class, meeting a friend for coffee or trying out snowshoes. Raise the antenna on your life for better reception. Maybe it's about fun/recreation, career, health/exercise, home improvements, relationships with family/friends, or spirituality/personal growth. Life-long learning is a good thing. What are the Obstacles? Usually it is time, money or fear. These familiar items seem to multiple and feed on each other. Yet, we find ourselves stymied by them time and again. Like a broken record, these items replay in our lives. When we are asked to step up to the plate to learn or try something new, we often find an excuse like:
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I have read all of Amy Tan's books starting with the Joy Luck Club, Kitchen God's Wife, The Hundred Secret Senses, and more. Each book carries the reader to the Far East and often, the author mentions people playing the game of Mahjongg, an ancient Chinese game of skill, strategy, and calculation with a certain amount of luck. Hmm...MahJongg... What kind of game is that?
Barbara Wulf MS, ACC, CPCC, is a Certified Career/Life Coach and writer helping people redesign their career paths by supporting and inspiring them to stretch, seek, and achieve work/life success. Barbara offers career assessments along with resume/cover letter writing and interviewing strategies for impact. Her free monthly e-zine, offers tips for those in career transition at: http://www.beckoncall-coach.com/
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