Hi Guys!!!

Let me start by wishing you all a Happy New Year and thank you so much for being a part of this journey!!

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I’m super excited to be talking about what I did over Christmas. It created this new perspective for me and some of the things I want to do more this year. One of those things is to play more games!

During the holiday, I remember going through an old iPad of mine that I had had for a long time (almost a decade ago). I was surprised at the things I had on there; the old pictures and even the types of games I used to play at the time- Temple run, Zuma, even Angry birds. Right now, my phone is full of pictures, movie and music apps.

One of the highlights of the holiday was playing scrabble during the Christmas family reunion and it was so much fun. It got me thinking “I need to do this more often”. These are some of the benefits I thought about:

Team Bonding

This is an obvious one. Scrabble for me was a team effort.  Knowing I wasn’t so great at scrabble on my own I teamed up with my big sister against the other players.  It was so interesting to see the power of two brains working together and we won!

Playing games together usually encourages people to interact in a fun way. A major part of my 2019 was spent playing Monopoly and it was always engaging and fun.

Goal Setting

Playing games requires you to be visionary. You know what you want and you strive to accomplish it. When you are playing a game you know what you need to do to win. You’re given instructions. The aim is to get the treasure and slay the dragon. Or even simple, defeat your opponent. Once you know your aim and you are familiar with the instructions you can devise a strategy and plan to win. I remember myself playing Mortal Kombat and frankly I was just pressing random buttons till I won. That is luck. However, because I did not know what I was doing there was no guarantee I’d win again. Some game men have mastered the art of their game. They know when to jump and dock. They know what weapons to use and they are just good.

Competition

I used to be very indifferent about FIFA. I only cared because the world has this notion that women should at least have an idea of it to appease the men so I learned to play. I have to admit that I did enjoy playing when I did although I have never won. It is funny how personally we take defeat. Games won’t always be ‘friendly’ but it pushes you to work harder. You are able to spot your opponent’s weaknesses and use them to your advantage. Games encourage healthy competition wether playing it over the console or on the field because it encourages healthy competition. It all depends on your attitude which brings me to my final point.

Character Building

Let’s admit it- winning can become addictive. You become proud when you feel undefeatable and when you lose you become mad. I see playing games as a true test of character. This brings me to my last point which is teaching perseverance and resilience. You develop a winning attitude when you practice constantly and you do not give up. Games usually have levels. You’re always moving from one level to the next. While some guys get upset and break their consoles when they lose or destroy the board for the other players when they are out of a game, some keep trying until they get to the next level. How patient are you?

If you have not played a game in a while, go grab a friend and have a game night this weekend!

Have a great week!