Quote:
Originally Posted by cushlash
Just finished listening to this one while driving home. Another solid podcast.
My opinions:
I think you're at a time where you're not happy or satisfied with playing poker. The passion is gone from the sound your voice. So it seems like you want to find something new. Good news is that you're young and you're looking. So many people don't even do that when they are unhappy with their lives. Another good news is that you're not financially tied down i.e, have a wife with kids, so you have some flexibility.
A lot of poker pros over time will have a sense of no purpose in life. They feel that they are doing it for the money. We are all humans and we want some kind of meanings in our lives. And with poker, it's hard to find that meaning longterm.
The problem is that poker pros think that playing poker is about making money...that's the end goal. However, it would be better to think that playing poker is a mean to an end of happy, meaningful life. But what is a meaningful life? What is a happy life? From my experience, a good, meaningful life is one that includes:
1. good relationship(significant other, family, friends). Humans are social creatures...we need interactions.
2. good health - eating well, do some physical activities. This will make your body and mind happy. What good is money if you don't have the health to enjoy it.
3. be friendly - not just at the table but away from the table. If you see someone play a hand bad, just sympathize with them. No reason to label them as fish or donkey. When I was younger, I was an introvert. But as I've gotten older, I've learn how to talk and dealt with people. It's amazing what a unique, genuine compliment does to a person. Follow up on things that you and that person have talked before. He or she will think "hey, he remembers about xyz"
4. be charitable - I want to improve on this. It doesn't have to be money. I'm a budhhist. And I used to go to the temple and help out...cutting tree branches, trimming grass, planting plants. It's not always about +/- money or zero sum game. Doing charitable things has it's own rewards in terms of personal happiness.
5. Emotionally stable - I think cushlash is good with this.
6. Keep your ego in check and be humble - when you learn to accept your limitation as a person, it is when you really grow as a person
There may be some more that's not on my mind at the moment. It's getting late and my mind isn't good as it used to be.