How playing Solitaire helps me...

The title is crazy right? I mean initially, you're thinking, "What is Patrice talking about?" Seriously, playing Solitaire has been game changer for me recently. Yes I could have jumped on the Candy Crush train, but when I started to look for a game to play when I need to relax my brain, I took it back to the basics. Here's what I took from my old-new found love of the game:

"Out with the old, in with the new" is not always true-- There a millions of games and apps that you can play, but sometimes the older games can be just as exciting. In this fast-paced world, where the "next big thing" looms above our heads daily, sometimes it is nice to go retro and embrace the "old".

You cannot control the hand you're dealt-- no point in dwelling on the hand you have been dealt, because you cannot control it. Play the game and when it doesn't pan out the way you wanted it to, start a new game! 

Stick with your "thing"-- I have little nuances and traditions when I play Solitaire. For the first 6 deck shuffles, I rotate between moving cards on the floor, and in the deck. Sometimes it is tempting to forgo your tradition and "way" of doing things, but stand your ground- even with yourself. If you have found something that has worked for you and makes YOU effective, stick to it no matter what- you will thank yourself later. 

Pay attention-- I cannot tell you how many times I was moving so fast that I missed combinations that could have been made "shuffles" ago. Sometimes we move so fast that we miss the perfect move below. Once you miss that move, it can throw off your entire game. I "punish" myself when I do this- if I miss a move and have to use the "hint" feature, I start a new game. Most times in life, there is no "do-over". Making myself start another game serves as a reminder to stop making this silly mistake and SLOW DOWN. 

You will win some, and lose some-- accept the losses and rejoice in the wins. It is that simple!