Snake and Ladder

Snake and Ladder – the game that everyone of us might have played as a child and loved the moments when we climbed the ladder and got disappointed when we came down the snake. We prayed to God that the dice shows up the number that we wanted the most to climb a ladder or to skip the snake. Did anyone see it as something else than just a game? Does it teach us something? Well … I never gave it a thought till I read the following article -

Choice & Consequences: Choices are your initiatives. Consequences  are Existential responses. The initiative to roll the dice is the choice you execute. It can land you just in another square, maybe take you up a ladder or bring you down through a snake. Six may not be better than one, for it can land you in the snake. A three may land you in the ladder. Till you know the consequences, you don’t know whether to slap yourself for the choice or pat yourself for it.
The qualification of a choice depends on the quality of consequences. Good choices, bad choices, ugly choices and outstanding choices – choices can thus be categorised only based on what the consequences turn out to be.

Success & Failure: Nobody succeeds all the time. In a world of progress and decision-making, there are no Midas Touches. There is no such person as “She got it right all the time”, everyone will have their moments, at least once in a way, on the snake. Nobody is destined to remain a failure either. Opportunities knock the doors of anyone who is willing to persist and persevere long enough. Success is failure delayed and failure is success delayed. Failure is not final. You may go down the snake and then maybe a roll of the dice takes you to the biggest ladder and you again make it to the top. Similarly, success is also not permanent. Beware; the next roll of the dice can lead to the snake.

It isn‘t over till it is over: Even if you have reached the top row, the game isn’t over till it is over. There is still the biggest snake left. We have a tendency to lose the intensity and involvement when things are too close to the finish. Winners know that it is all about the last inch. Play to the end with the same intensity.

Winner s never quit: No matter how many ladders led you to the top and how many snakes took you down, one thing is sure, if you play the game long enough you will complete it. People who didn’t win are basically those who quit the game midway. Quitters never win. Of course, winners never quit.

It’s just a game: Life is but a dream. Sincerity doesn’t mean one has to be serious. We can be playfully sincere. Play, let us….