Playing the game of life with joy and compassion

One of my favorite passages from the metaphysical book "A Course in Miracles" is "Spirit am I. A beautiful son of God. Free of all limits. Safe, healed and whole. Free to forgive and free to save the world." These 25 powerful words always remind me of who I really am -- a beautiful son of God, my true nature, and are especially helpful when my ego is subtly or aggressively criticizing me.

I do think that the reason we are here on this earth is to remember who we are by playing the game of overcoming our fears. Yes, the word play is important because games are most fun and successful when people focus on the task at hand in a joyful and open-hearted way. For me, my best games have required all energy and ingenuity but I am okay with whatever the results are. In short, I truly play, without a lot of attachments to a specific result.

Last night while eating Indian pizza, some friends and I played the game of Catan, a very competitive boardgame that involves quite a bit of strategy and concentration. Everyone had an opportunity to be in the lead so it wasn't clear who was going to win. Feeling relaxed and light-hearted, I played the best I have ever had, enjoying the fellowship of my friends -- as well as my constantly-changing fortunes. I noticed when my ego was registering its complaints about me and others, and smiled at its judgments and kept playing with joy and compassion.

So as I begin this week, this is an opportunity to remember my true nature and play the game of life in the same way.