Holding 5 aces in your hand

This week I led a workshop with a group of government employees. Before we started, a few of us started talking about retirement plans. One of the employees (who I’ll call Mike) shared with us that he was more than ready to retire.

“I have 5 aces in my hand,” Mike gleamed.

“5 aces?” we asked. “What does that mean?”

“It means that I’m set,” Mike explained, “Financially, physically, emotionally, spiritually, I have 5 aces!”

Aahhh….Mike was using poker as a metaphor to say that he held a very good hand and was living a great life.

“How could you have 5 aces?” I asked. “There are only 4 aces in a card deck.”

“The 5th ace is the Joker. It’s the wild card,” Mike laughed. “You all are thinking too small. You need to expand your thinking!”

I loved Mike’s metaphor of seeing his life in this way. In poker, five aces beats out any other hand, including a royal flush. Mike was painting a picture for us that he was living his best life.

The way Mike described how he got there, though, wasn’t from the perspective of luck or chance. In fact, if you ask any professional poker player, they’ll tell you that luck has very little to do with their winning.

If you could describe your life in poker terms, what cards are you holding right now?

Would you say you have five aces? How about three of a kind? A pair? A high card? A mix of random unrelated cards?

If you don’t know poker, here’s another way to ask the question: On a scale of 1 to 10, how meaningful, fulfilling, joyful and purposeful does your life feel like right now?

Go ahead. Give yourself a number.

Here’s the thing. Whatever number you come up with, or whatever cards you feel like you may be holding, it’s okay. 

Where you’re at right now is a snapshot in this moment in time. You have a starting point for where you want to go.

So where do you want to go? 

What does holding 5 aces in your hand look like for your life? What would your life look like if you felt more alive, more joyful, more purposeful and more authentically you?

You see, you have it within you to create this life. 

Here’s the spiritual truth in all this:

No matter what kind of hand you’ve been dealt in life, you have all the cards of the deck at your disposal to use how you want.

You don’t have to limit the infinite nature of Life by holding on to the idea that life only happens to you.

All of Life’s creative energy is at your disposal. Why? Because you are Life itself.

Ultimately, all it takes is your willingness to recognize and embrace the magnitude and magnificence of who you really are.

Just as Mike is holding his 5 aces in his hand, your own 5 aces are right in front you, waiting for you to pick them up. 

What will it take for you to pick them up?

Abundant Blessings and Namaste.

I'd love to hear your thoughts about today’s post. Please leave a comment below.

And if you’re feeling the need for guidance or support for a particular area of life, I offer a complimentary life coaching consultation where we can chat. You can learn more about these life coaching consultations by clicking here.

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