Fact:
Every time you shuffle a deck of cards, chances are that you’ve put them in an order that has not yet been seen in the history of the universe.
That’s because the number of ways (or combinations) a deck of cards can be shuffled is: 80,658,175,170,943,878,571,660,636,856,403,766,975,289,505,440,883,277,824,000,000,000,000.
[Source: Currency Partners]
That’s a huge number of possibilities that can be generated from just one pack of 52 cards!
Seeing such a huge number made me think of the number of ways our life can turn out based on any number of decision points we come to. We have way more than 52 ‘cards’ or decision points to play with, if we count the amount of time we have, the number of decisions we make, the people we meet, and the choices we have, over our lifetime.
Does that mean the possibilities for our life path are endless?
I think so.
Every time we make a decision, even the smallest ones, we leave behind a host of options we didn’t take, as we continue creating our life path.
So, how do we know we’re on the best path?
Having so many options and always striving to be on the ‘best’ path may cause a certain amount of stress.
We may also feel overwhelmed with a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out). We can land up feeling miserable no matter what decision we make because we’re worried about the choices we didn’t make and what we could be missing out on.
At the same time, the knowledge that we have many options and that we can change our course at any time can be comforting. We don’t need to remain on a path that makes us miserable because maybe we can reshuffle the cards and play again.
The point is not really about making sure we’re on the best path. The point is to realise we can try, and try again.
I know life isn’t always that simple and there’s way more complexity in a person’s life than in a deck of cards.
But what if we make a conscious choice to follow a path that makes us feel good inside. And keep on making decisions that feel good for us, that makes us excited and feel alive every single day. Our choices may not necessarily take us on the easiest or most comfortable path because life throws circumstances at us that challenge us that are out of our control to change. Sometimes we even seek out excitement and challenges for ourselves.
Perhaps a little more awareness of
- the fact that we have so many choices and
- how our choices make us feel about ourselves can guide us towards the exciting adventure life can be.
The idea here is to be more conscious of the many possibilities we do have and to have fun playing with them.
Ask yourself if you’ve really given thought to other options that could bring more joy, fulfillment, satisfaction, and personal success?
Ask others what they think. Bounce ideas around and open up your thinking.
I sometimes see people who don’t think there are many options at all. They see only one possible path ahead and feel miserable that it can’t be better than that.
Is that you?
Step back and ask yourself, is there another way? What else is possible? Allow your imagination to roam wild and see what comes up.
When I saw that huge number reflecting the possible outcomes from shuffling a deck of cards, it made me realise the enormity of our options.
Is that thought overwhelming or comforting for you?
I find it comforting.
What do you think?
Sometimes it helps to sift through your options (or discover more options) in conversation with someone else. If you’re at a decision point and would like to have a conversation, comment below and let’s talk.
Do you want to be a confident, inspiring CEO with a top-performing team?
Get your FREE leadership toolkit and 15-minute training to take you through the exact process we use to help our clients manage the 3 types of leadership habits for extraordinary leadership and business results.
Click here to gain access