Taming our game

Taming our game means admitting that we’ve chosen to do whatever we’re doing, because we wanted the effect it’s producing. It means giving up any pretense that the way we feel is caused by someone else or by some condition of life.

“I’m in this situation because I want to be doing what I’m doing, and I’m solely responsible for the experience that I’m having, and no one is doing it to me.”

This is what it takes to become deliberately conscious. It’s called “getting our servants to obey us,” including our mind, body, emotions and talents. By taming our game, we’re able to summon what we want and dismiss what we don’t want. And we participate in life as conscious creators.

Another person’s negative communication doesn’t affect our worth or well-being. And it doesn’t need to be a factor in how we feel or respond. When people strike out with insults or accusations, we’re not their target. We’re only witnessing symptoms of dis-ease in people who are hurting. And their symptoms don’t need to be contagious.

Many people return anger for anger, and hurt for hurt. But we can live differently. By caring why people do what they do, we can hear their pain over their anger, and we can refuse to return hate for hate.

If we handle our self-worth issues first, we can function in a healthy and inclusive way toward people who may not feel the same yet.