Archives for November 2018

Game theory. Gamefication. Winning. The specific methods that underlie these ideas are everywhere. From the campaigns of politicians, to the design of mobile apps, everything is being consciously designed to facilitate engagement. Good UX (user design) or EX (experience design) lead to higher levels of usage in apps and greater sales in the retail space. The crafting of messages for specific audiences at specially tailored events, allow politicians to drive home messages to specific audiences individually, creating a coalition of disparate voters, rather than a unified body.

But there is something about the culture of gaming that can be corrosive. Competitive games are fundamentally about winning. Even if you are playing against yourself, the drive to achieve the stated goal is strong. We want to earn the badge, get to the next level, get the sales record, have better stats, or win the election. With that goal in mind the strategy to win is super important. But what are we willing to do, to our environment, relationships, friends and neighbors, or even ourselves, to win?

That is the question we all must ask as we enter into coalition, put our time and effort behind a product, person, or message, and maybe even find ourselves in a position to make decisions that can change things. Not everything is a game. Some things are not just about winning. Some times our relationships, environment, friends and neighbors, or even ourselves could use the break from being a pawn in a game.

When Gregory Hines used to teach class he would impress upon the students there the importance of ending together. He would describe it as the first goal of dancing with others. As I’ve found myself in the position of teacher I’ve taken that lesson to heart, and passed it along whenever possible.

The lesson isn’t just good for dancing though. Matching the pace of a team helps keep people together, on the same page, and in the same rhythm. Whether it’s crossing the finish line on a project together, or sitting together at the end of long day, or even a hi-five after a task well done, ending markers serve as beautiful shared moments on the journey of life.

Sometimes, endings might bring on a sense of sadness, but when we end together, they can be moments of shared reflection and joy.

In every new opportunity there is an aspect of excitement and an aspect of dread.

The excitement comes from what is known and the perceived potential for growth, achievement, new experiences, and the such.

Dread comes from fear or doubt around the perceived challenges we think we’ll encounter, and even more so, the unknown aspects of the new opportunity.

There’s something about the unknown that elicits a strong response. Whether potentially good or bad, the unknown is simply that, unknown. Trying to prepare for the unknown is like trying to prepare for a journey into a black hole. There is no way to know what it will be like until we’re inside.

We can prepare for all the possible known experiences (based on past experiences). We can even attempt to prepare for imagined forthcoming experiences. But we still won’t really be able to know what’s going to happen with our new opportunity until we’re in it.

This is where discernment, trust, and faith enter. Discernment that this new opportunity is for you. Trust that you have already been prepared for what you will encounter, and anything else you need will come along the way. And faith that even though you can’t see what is ahead, you are moving in the right direction.

Dread is sobering, and that’s a good thing. It checks our emotions of excitement. Discernment, trust, and faith, are grounding. They check the sobering affect of dread and allow joy to grow in the midst. Keep the balance, and move. There’s a lot of work to be done.