life is a game. play it.

A Detour is a choice between two tasks, each with its own pros and cons. Teams must successfully complete one of the tasks described on the clue in order to receive their next clue. One task is typically an easier option that takes more time to complete, while the other is usually a difficult or frightening option that can be finished quickly.
-- The Amazing Race from wikipedia.com

a friend of mine is torn between staying in Singapore and going back home. during the start of our conversation, he seemed pretty sure of going back here. when asked for my opinion if it's the right thing to do, i gave him my most honest answer, NO, without seeing the complete picture. only because there's this teeny part inside of me that wanted to be in his shoes, working in a foreign country where the government can discipline its people resulting to low crime rates and successful economy as compared to my country where the government itself can't discipline the people working within it. when my friend told me his reasons, that's only when i understood his dilemma. it's not about working in the land of milk and honey but it's about pursuing a career and taking care of family. it really is a tough choice.

i told him about how i believe that whatever choices we make always leads us to the right path. it's not a matter of making the right decision because what we choose will always be the right one. if we believe in God, that is, he has it all planned for us. of course, i'm not talking about the good vs. evil here, i'm referring to 2 paths that both lead to a certain destination but each having a different set of bumps and obstacles along the way.

our conversation reminded me of The Amazing Race show where teams follow clues and instructions and race their way to the finish line where a million dollars await them (i won't go into the full details but if you want to know more about the show, click here). obviously, the million dollar prize represents our goal in life. along the way of fulfilling our goals we may have to deal with detours, which, however distinctive they are with each other, will still lead us to the finish line. each and everyone of us are into this race towards our goals. when we are going to reach them depends on our individual strategies and maybe sometimes, out of luck. other people may get to the finish line first and we may get eliminated in the middle of the race but remember, life is a game. there's no limit as to how many times you can play.

i remember i was asked this question while i was still in college: is life a game or a gamble? being a pessimistic then, i said life is a gamble because there's a lot of risk involved in order to survive in this world. my recent transformation to being a positive thinker made me eat my words. pulling the slot machines fast enough won't ensure you a win, neither would a special style of throwing the dice. gambling involves luck and luck alone. and that's no way to achieve your dreams.