The Game Behind the Game
Navin Thukkaram
Helping Founders / CEOs / Investors master their mindsets, enhance their capacity for contentment, and optimize their exits. Exit Coach | Investor | Board Member
I've been thinking about games lately.
Not the kind you play on a screen, but the ones we play in our minds. The ones society tells us we must win.
You know what I mean:
I played this game. I won this game.
But one quiet morning, between meetings and metrics, a question hit me:
"Is this all there is?"
I didn’t like this question. At all. Questioning the things that make you, you… that’s hard.?
But I couldn’t ignore a sinking feeling… Was I playing the wrong game?
Maybe you're feeling it too.
Even while you’re running that company. Leading that fund. Hitting those targets.
Maybe something's nudging at you. A whisper suggesting there might be something beyond society's prescribed rewards.
The game behind the game. The layer just beneath the matrix.?
The question isn't whether you're winning or losing.
The question is:
Are you playing the right game?
People, Culture, Coaching, Change | ACMP Board of Directors - ON | 3X Published Author - Unlocking the power of possibility, productivity & profitability!
2 周Thought provoking! Focus on what matters most.
Helping You Create Your Next Winning Presentation | Founder of Mad Creative Beanstalk | Get in touch for slide design
2 周This is such a thought-provoking perspective Navin! It’s easy to get caught up in the societal metrics of success and forget to reflect on what truly matters to us. Your question, "Is this all there is?" resonates deeply; it challenges us to consider our values and the deeper purpose behind our pursuits.
Organizational Whisperer, Executive & Leadership Coach: moving individuals, teams & organizations toward greater agility, mental fitness and positive intelligence.
2 周Great to ask this question, Navin. It can help us reframe and reshape how we approach our work.
Gain clarity on the right next step in your career. More fulfilling work & better balance, without taking a pay cut. You don't have to sacrifice.
2 周This exact question is what's led me to do what I do today...and what I constantly revisit to ensure my life & work are aligned with my values.
Bus. Dev. & Strategy Leader, Goldman Sachs alumni, BoomStartup playbook author #12 Tech Accelerator in US, creative problem-solver, creator of 1+1>2 opportunities, pattern/trend recognition, predicting outcomes
2 周Here are some ideas about this matter that I’ve been molding and sculpting. Apologies for being verbose. - The "right" game depends on the person, and at what point in their life they ask themselves this question. - It's not as much about "winning" as it is about being able to experience and enjoy the moment or even a moment. - Winning may be more about being able to be present so you can really feel joy, love, happiness, and other like frequencies. - The game and winning might be more about not judging yourself or others, allowing yourself to enjoy your journey vs. comparing it to how you think it might be for someone else. - Maybe “winning” just means knowing and believing that you are enough as you are?