Mah Jongg Mirrors Life

As I was teaching experienced players Mah Jongg today I got into a discussion about how players who lost the game react. I stated that so many players are quick to reveal their losing hand to show their “almost” Mah Jongg. Often times players do this before they have even looked at the winners hand to verify it is actually correct.

Never reveal your hand until you have verified the winner. If the player has called Mah Jongg in error than they are called dead, but so are you for having revealed your hand.

The reason people reveal their hand prematurely is that they want to show you how smart they are too, or how close they got, or that you won by a hair, or any other number of reasons. I too am guilty of showing what I was going for, but did not make.

The more I think about this the more I recognize traits in people they might want to change if they only realized they were doing it. How often does someone join a group and immediately want to start talking about themselves. I know I do.

At a recent celebration for a friend I listened to two people dominate the conversation and ignore the person being celebrated. I know these people, who are all friends, did not purposely mean to do that, but they do it all the time.

I have another friend who is skilled at asking specific questions to each person in a group so they have a chance to shine before she ever mentions anything going on with her. It is a most welcome trait, which I want to try an emulate.

As I write a daily blog about any old drivel about me, I usually want to hear about other people because I figure if they were the least bit interested in me they might have already read what was going on with me. This does not mean I am not talking about myself, lord that would take an act of god. But, like revealing your Mah Jongg tiles, it is best to ask about others before making it about you.

My advice in Mah Jongg is you don’t always have to reveal what you are playing. Instead take a moment to celebrate the winner. Let her have her moment in the sun. Soon enough you will have another chance to win.

I am going to work on applying this same advice to all aspects of my life. That does not mean I will stop writing my blog about the randomness of my life. The difference is, if you read it, that is your choice. If I see you in person, then I want to hear about you. You got enough about me.