It all starts out with learning the game of Go-Fish as a young child. You're taught to keep your cards to yourself, even though you can't help yourself from showing the other players your cards. You're told time and time again to not show them, yet despite that you always forget. You either win by sheer luck, or lose because the other players knew which cards you had in your hand that helped them make moves and ultimately win the game. Maybe next time around I'll win, you think to yourself.

You grow up and begin to play more difficult card games, ones that involve a lot more strategy than a simple game of Go-Fish. You need to think about every single move you make. How will that affect what happens next? Do you play the risky move and hope for the best? Or do you hold that card and wait for the next opportunity to play it? Will holding that card jeopardize you or work out in your favor? What if playing that card completely backfires on you? Should you show your hand to the friend that you think isn't playing? Will that mistake you used to make as a child come back to haunt you if things don't go the way you thought it would?

Sounds a lot like life, doesn't it?

Think about it: every move you make has its own set of rewards and its own set of consequences. Do you ask that girl out? Or do you wait for her to make the first move? Or, do you decide that it "isn't the right time" and hold that card, only to find out a few weeks later that another guy has swept her off her feet? What happens if you confront that friend about that one problem? What if you tell another friend about that problem to get advice, and then all of a sudden that first friend comes up to you upset because "you were talking crap about them"? What will happen if you choose to go out on Thursday night, even though you have a test the next day and "the class is so easy"?

When I made this connection, my outlook on life completely changed. I was about seventeen-years-old and about to graduate high school. I realized that in card games, you will have to make important decisions that will either make or break your game. It doesn't solely matter about what you play; it also matters how you play them. You can either play certain cards with grace and dignity or handle it in an inappropriate way. The great thing about it is that whatever play you make, whether it be good or bad, you always learn from it. As I begin my day, I always remind myself that I'm about to play another "card game". It helps me make important decisions and handle conflicts as best as I can.

Some important things to remember in your next "card game" of life: Everything could go as planned or completely backfire right in front of you. Choose wisely. Make the best out of every play and learn from them, too. Whatever you do, never reveal your next move. Sometimes your ally in the card game may turn out to be the one that ruins everything.

Life is like a card game; you just have to remember to always play your cards right.