In her book, The Game of Life, Florence Scovel Shinn writes, “Many people consider life a battle, but it is not a battle, it is a game. It is a game, however, which cannot be played successfully without the knowledge of the rules or Spiritual Law.”

Life is a game, but like every game, it has rules. The Spiritual Law that Florence Shinn is writing about is the “Law of Giving and Receiving.” What we put out into the Universe most definitely comes back to us. We do not get to play the game of life and make up our own rules. There is a Law and it is exact and guaranteed.

For example, we cannot create abundance from lack consciousness. We cannot create health from claiming that we are always sick or mentally succumbing to flu season. The most powerful among us, treats and moves their feet in the direction of their treatment. If it’s health we want then we must claim health and act like a healthy person. We prepare ourselves mentally for what we do for our bodies physically, not the opposite.

Life is a game and it should be played like a game. If the goal is to win then we have to play to win. If we use the Law of giving and receiving correctly, we will reap its gifts. We also have spiritual skills that we get to refine and use as we play the game of life: Perception, Intuition, Imagination, Vibration, Belief, Intellect, Decision – to name a few. Skills are necessary when playing any game. These are skills that must be used and refined and corrected when needed.

Let me go through them quickly. Everything is perception. If we have a challenge and we change the way we look at it, the challenge will shift. I can look at a challenge in my life as an opportunity to learn more or dig deeper into my inner or spiritual self.

My intuition must be developed. If I hear the voice of intuition and ignore it, I will not reap its benefits. Intuition is not just something that is happenstance. It can be received on demand when I truly stop and listen to my inner voice.

My imagination is a powerful tool and it swings in many directions. I can envision what I want and I can also spend time envisioning what I don’t want. That’s called worry.

What about Vibration. Am I vibrating at the frequency of what I say I want in my life? If I want to be more prosperous, then I have to act more prosperous. Holding onto every dollar is not prosperous consciousness. If I want to have more, I have to give more.

Belief holds everything in consciousness. I have deep beliefs that have been with me since I was a child. Am I working on changing them if they do not serve me? Sometimes, I am surprised when a belief comes up that I thought I’d let go of long ago. I liken it to getting hilahila weed out of my garden. It takes deep digging and sometimes I get pricked, but that doesn’t stop me from digging deeper. In order to rid myself of the weed, I must dig out the tap root. This takes persistence.

Using my Intellect constructively and learning new things keeps my mind fresh and open to new ideas I might not have previously conceived. I am always reading, studying and listening to powerful people speak and teach. I do my best to use my intellect intelligently and not get swayed by everything I hear in the outside world of information.

My ability to make an irrevocable decision is paramount in getting anywhere in life. I have to be direct and state what it is I want and then make a decision to act, to go for it, to know that my success is assured. Action has to follow our decisions.

Our Word is the greatest tool that we have and will be more powerful when all our skills are in place and working. I rely on this promise often and state it in my treatments: “My word shall not return unto me void, but shall accomplish that where unto it is sent.”

Florence Shinn wrote, “If one asks for success and prepares for failure, he will get the situation he has prepared for.” How many times have we treated or wanted something in our life, stated it and then did everything to the contrary just in case it didn’t happen? We cannot say one thing and act in another way.

We must be true to our word. We must believe in our word. We must trust the Law of Giving and Receiving. It’s one thing to say we know that there is a Law, and another thing to believe in it and trust it, and use it.

Life is a Game and we are playing it. We might be playing with poor skills and feel that we are losing, but we are getting exactly what we put into the game. The Truth is that it all comes back to ourselves. We must know ourself as God, as Powerful. We must love ourselves and treat ourselves with kindness and respect. We must trust ourselves, knowing that when we think, God is thinking. When we use our Word, God is speaking. This is not vain. It is Truth.

The game can’t be played from the outside in. We must get into the inner workings of the game and play it from that place.

We are all potential winners in the Game of Life and there is no competition. When I adhere to the Law of Life and play the game, respecting those laws, life ceases to be a battle; and instead, becomes a wonderful adventure. When I am on the adventure of life, playing the game with all my skills and sharpening those skills on a daily basis, I meet success around every corner, even the unexpected corners. When you are open and ready, you might be surprised how your good shows up.

Love and Aloha,

Rev. Rita Andriello-Feren, Healer, Spiritual Director, CSL Kaua`i