Life is Really Pinball - It's Just a Game, so Why Not Have Fun?

Pinball has always held a strange fascination for me. Those ringing bells, those blinking lights, the colorful diagrams, and exciting routes the silver ball can take. As a young girl I can recall eyeing the pinball machine at the neighborhood 7-11 and the teens who played it. If only there weren't a 16 year old age limit!

When I got to college, I found the Student Union awash in pinball machines. Playing pinball became my main method of stress relief while studying for exams. In fact, it is amazing me that I ever completed most of my assignments with the temptation of the pinball machines beckoning so near. I would wager to say that I spent a small fortune in quarters in those machines.

When I discovered "Space Cadet" pinball on my husband's laptop computer with all the sound and light effects of the real McCoy, I thought that I had died and gone to heaven. To think - I could play as often as I wished and for FREE! My aspiration to become a pinball wizard felt realized when I eventually reached the unfathomable score of 68 million points!

My experience playing pinball has lead me to some interesting revelations. Among them, that the same skills necessary to win at the game are those which help one to be successful in life. So, without further ado, I describe for you here 20 arguments which I believe support my hypothesis that life is, indeed, nothing more than a pinball game.

1) You can't win if you focus too much on the score.

Just as concentrating too hard while playing pinball can work against, trying too hard to achieve a certain outcome in life is nearly always counter-productive.

2) You play best when you are relaxed.

Relaxation while playing pinball or while navigating through life is always the best approach.

3) Always keep your eye on the ball.

If you don't focus on the ball, it's easy to quickly lose it. In life, you need to stay focused on your priorities or you will easily get sidetracked.

4) Don't get distracted by the flashing lights, bells, and whistles.

It's easy to forget what you are doing and let something else grab your attention. In life and in pinball.

5) The Gravity Well can be a good thing or a bad thing.

The Gravity Well causes the ball to do erratic and unpredictable things. This may confuse you but can also lead to big points, if you take advantage of the ball's mysterious movements. Likewise, things that seem like negatives in life often turn out to be positives in the long run.

6) Know the rules - you will be more successful completing your missions.

If you know that it takes to move the next level, you will be more likely to get there. In life, you have to have a basic blueprint if you want to achieve a goal.

7) Be flexible.

Just as the ball won't always go where you expect it to, things in life don't always go according to your expectations. So roll with the punches.

8) Always have fun.

The more you enjoy the game, the better you will score in pinball. The more you enjoy life, the more smoothly it will go for you.

9) Breathe. If you catch yourself holding your breath, let it out.

Holding one's breath occurs naturally when concentrating, but prevents flow both in pinball and in life.

10) No matter how good you are, you can always get a higher score.

As long as there is a challenge, there is a reason to keep playing.

11) You can always start over.

One of the beauties of pinball is that if you are interrupted or things are going well, you can always start a new game. While this isn't quite so easy to do in life, it can still be done. So, never despair.

12) Replays are worth more than extra balls.

A replay allows you to reuse the same ball to continue with the missions that you have in progress. While a new ball is good, it requires starting missions from scratch. Likewise, in life, it is always more beneficial to continue with something you started and complete it, than to have to start over something that you messed up the first time.

13) You always play against yourself.

Although pinball allows you to compete against others, I get the greatest joy in trying to beat my own highest score. While life may often seem competitive, the truth you are your own worst opponent.

14) You can pause at any time.

When things get too tense in pinball or in life, take a breather, then start back refreshed.

15) It's only a game. Don't take it too seriously.

While I believe that life should be lived responsibly, you can make yourself miserable by stressing over every little thing to much.

16) The more you play, the better you get.

Every experience is an opportunity for improvement.

17) You can't play well if you're upset. Emotion affects your ability to perform.

It is crucial to find a happy medium between taking the game too seriously and not taking the game seriously at all. Staying calm always improves your performance.

18) The higher you rank, the more difficult the missions are.

Increased responsibility means increased opportunity, but also increased risk.

19) Every mistake is a learning opportunity.

There is always something to be gained from examining where you went wrong.

20) Just because it's free doesn't mean it is worthless.

Make every moment count. You might get a reply - but then again, you might not!