The Catalyst

Good Afternoon,

Throughout my observations I try to find various analogies andmetaphors in which I can use as an omphalos* to explain the ups anddowns of our lives. I recently came up with a creative analogy whileplaying cards with my friends. Hopefully, you all know how to playSpades. If you don't, you should follow the advice of Katt Williamsand get some "(fill in your own blank) friends" or you probably won'tunderstand this particular Catalyst. When I play Spades, my partnerand I are constantly on the look out for our "10" hand. Whether youcall it your "10 hand", the "pound", or the "wheels" basically youwant to bid 10 because if you make it, you get 200 points, otherwiseknown as "10 for 2" (or at least that's how we play. You know Spadesrules differ by region). Every time I play Spades I patiently wait,hand after hand, until I get a good enough hand to bid 10. Any timeI'm involved in a game and I'm fortunate enough to bid 10 and get it,my team generally wins. If I don't get to bid 10 or I bid 10 and get"set", a loss is usually eminent. Win my team is down in points, Inever get too worried. I always tell my opponents I'm just waiting onmy "10 hand". In life, we have a similar desire. Aren't we all justwaiting on our "10 hand"? Aren't we all just waiting for that momentwhen our patience, hard work, and determination ends in a big payday? Follow me as I explain how to get "10 for 2" in Spades and in life. There are 3 simple steps and I will explain as thoroughly as I can.

Step 1:

In the game of Spades, as in life, you have to play with the cardsyou are dealt. Sometimes you get a bad hand. It's really nobody'sfault if you don't get the cards you want. We have no control overhow tall we will be, the color of our hair, or our complexion. Wehave no control over who our parents are. Some people are born into alife of luxury. Some are born dirt poor. Some people's parents loveeach other and are still married. Some parents get divorced. Somechildren are born into loving families while others of us are not asfortunate. We have no control over the cards we receive but aseasoned player will never let the cards dictate victory or defeat. Aveteran realizes that he/she has a partner and a good Spades partnercan carry the load in a high pressure "10 hand". If you don't have agood Spades partner, or life partner (spouse, best friend, mentor,etc.), success is merely a mirage. Contrary to popular opinion, youcannot make it on your own. You will ALWAYS need somebody else'shelp. Always!

Step 2:

Once you have your cards, the next thing you have to do is bid your hand. You have to set your goals. As the cliché goes, you can't goanywhere without having a destination. It kills me how many peopledon't know what they want out of life. You know the person. They say they want to go back to school but you ask them want they want tomajor in and they reply, "I don't know". In my generation, there areplenty of grown "kids" that still don't know what they want to be when they grow up. I hate to see people get depressed about turning 30 andnot being where they thought they would be. It's not that we can't have what we want. Most of us, myself included, have a ridiculouslyunrealistic time table that we work from. Not everyone can be marriedby 25. We can't all have a house by 30. Sure, retiring by 35 isideal but for most of us, especially those who dream big, the realityis that those big dreams require time and patience in order to becomea reality. We sometimes end up delaying our success because we try toforce situations to match our ideas. We try to force our way ontoMr./Mrs. Right only to find out they weren't worth our time. Now we have to start all over. We run into the same scenarios in our careers. Most of us would like to own our own business. Am I right? Even though that is our goal, we settle for working for thesecorporations because they promise us a steady paycheck, 2 weeks ofvacation time, and 401k. There is no way you can accomplish yourfinancial goals working a 40-hour workweek. As if that isn't enough,we have the nerve to get indignant when we get downsized because thereare workers in India who are willing to do our jobs for half the pay. It's business, nothing personal. Make sure you set goals. It may seemsilly to write down what you want but trust me it's necessary. Likeany professional Spades player will tell you, there is no worsefeeling in the world than getting 10 "books" when you didn't bid it.

Step 3:

The last and most important step in achieving "10 for 2" success isto actually win the 10 books. Getting the right cards and bidding 10mean absolutely nothing if you don't play the hand (correctly). Taking action is the hardest thing to do when striving to achievegoals. Triumphant action requires concentration, courage, andtenacity. Concentration, or focus, requires that we tune outEVERYTHING that doesn't help us reach our goal(s). This is hardbecause most of us can't focus for 15 minutes, much less day after dayor in some cases year after year. I have been trying to getestablished in the entertainment industry for years. Getting in this particular industry is like cutting down an oak tree with a pocketknife. It's not impossible but during the process you can't help butwonder if there is another way. I've been cutting away for a longtime but focus and courage keep me going. You need to have couragebecause there will be a lot of voices, internal and external, thatwill try to convince you to stop and cut your losses. There have beenplenty of people that tell me my goals are crazy and that I shouldquit and get a "regular" job. And when things don't materialize asanticipated, it's easy to believe what is being said. But couragewill help you stay the course no matter what anyone says, includingthe voice in your own head. That, my friend, is tenacity. Tenacity gives you the audacity to ignore catastrophe (<--Feel free to use my quote). Tenacity is a fierce burning inside you that won't letanybody or anything stop you from attaining what you want. When you are tenacious, you will hear certain things constantly. "You neverlisten to anybody". "You think you're all that". "You never admit when you're wrong". "If you would have listened to me that never would have happened". Does any of this sound familiar? Don't worry,you aren't the only one who has to listen to these statements. These unhelpful remarks let you know you're on the right track. Taking action is an extremely important and time-consuming step. However, you'll never get anywhere if you don't move. Whether it's a good ideato move or not is another question but you won't know until you try. Of course, planning is necessary but don't get so caught up in preparation and deliberation that you forget about implementation(<--getting my Jesse Jackson on).

There you have it. Now you know how to win in Spades and win inlife. It seems simple, doesn't it? Just remember it only SEEMS thatway. In the game of Spades, in order to win 10 books in a hand youhave to play smart because there is little room for error. Life isnot much different. You have to be smart about your decisions. Whereyou are in life, right now, is a direct extension of the decisionsyou've made in the past. There is nothing you can do about your past. But you can start right now to make changes that will positivelyinfluence your future. Spades is just a pasttime. Life is not. Thedecisions you make concerning your life have a little more impact onthe world than a card game.

"Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but usually manages topick himself up, walk over or around it, and carry on." - WinstonChurchill

Dream Big. Live Bigger.

The All-American
www.rallostyles.com
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*Word you've never heard...

omphalous /AHM-fuh-lahss/ noun - a central point: hub, focal point