From The Storyteller
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Hello All: The gifts the we are given at birth are amazing. Today's story is about one of them. Enjoy, Doug
Serious “Fantasy Football is something I don’t understand.” Me, to one of our boys. He rolls his eyes and explains, “32 people put in $100, and get one of the 32 NFL teams. They select players from the NFL’s player roster for each position on their team. After the week’s games are over, they check their player’s statics and the fantasy team with the best stats wins the weekly pot. It’s a really ‘fun’ way to follow football.” His explanation lets me know that those, who do this for “fun”, are serious about it because of the amount of effort necessary to participate in this “fun” thing. Which caused me to think about all the things people do for “fun”. Some folks think it’s “fun” to hike for days in freezing weather, and they are very serious in their planning and about their equipment. There are serious video-gamers, golfers, NASCAR fans, clay pottery makers and quilters, and each of them is doing their thing for “fun”. Which brings me to the realization that when we’re doing something that requires serious effort, just thinking about it as “fun” can magically turn work into play. Example: Safari, our 36’ sailboat, required serious work, often in very uncomfortable conditions. Elaine and I played at this “fun” thing for 21 years. Thinking about the effort required for Fantasy Football and sailboat repairs helped me identify a life gift each of us has been given. It is the gift of choice. Life will present us with things that will require serious effort, and we have been given the unique ability to decide whether to enjoy the tasks for what they are, or to suffer through them. I try for enjoyment over suffering every time. Moral: The ability to make choices is a gift. How we use that gift is up to us. |