Remember musical chairs?
The music plays.
Everybody moves.
Then suddenly…
IT STOPS.
The lesson?
Make sure you recognize what matters BEFORE the music ends.
We all remember the game of musical chairs.
What excitement.
What confusion.
What pressure.
LOL.
I remember when it was first introduced to me as a child.
I did not always understand things immediately…
so I simply followed everybody else.
We stood up.
We marched around the chairs.
Hey…
marching as a kid is fun no matter what.
The music helped.
Then suddenly…
THE MUSIC STOPPED.
Everybody sat down.
Fast.
I just stood there.
CRUSHED BEFORE WE GOT STARTED
I was OUT.
My first thought was:
WHAT GAME?
LOL.
I did not even understand what had happened.
Then I had to leave the playing area…
stand on the side…
and WATCH.
And that is when I got it.
I learn by:
doing,
watching,
seeing,
trying,
and then doing it again.
My first lesson in musical chairs was very short.
But very effective.
I decided right there:
NEXT TIME…
I AM NOT GOING TO BE THE ONE WITHOUT A CHAIR.
PICK YOUR SUBJECT
Now here is where the childhood game gets interesting.
Musical chairs applies to almost everything.
Pick a subject.
Business.
Money.
Relationships.
Employment.
Opportunity.
Health.
Friendship.
Love.
Time.
Real Estate.
Life.
At some point…
the music changes.
Sometimes it slows.
Sometimes it stops.
Sometimes somebody removes a chair while you were not paying attention.
The question becomes:
WHERE ARE YOU WHEN THAT HAPPENS?
PAUSE FOR CAUSE.
The game is not really about chairs.
It is about:
AWARENESS.
TIMING.
PREPARATION.
AND APPRECIATION.
THE REAL ESTATE ROUND
Think about a Real Estate cycle.
Everything is moving.
Prices are rising.
People are buying.
Money is flowing.
Confidence is everywhere.
The music is LOUD.
Then something changes.
Credit tightens.
Prices fall.
Jobs disappear.
Buyers retreat.
Suddenly…
the music stops.
Now everybody starts looking for a chair.
And there are not enough.
That is when preparation matters.
Cash matters.
Debt matters.
Reserves matter.
Judgment matters.
Timing matters.
Those who were standing too far away from stability discovered something very quickly.
The music does not ask whether you were having fun.
It just stops.
OPEN YOUR HEART AND YOU WILL SEE BETTER
Now move this into relationships.
You have:
a spouse,
children,
family,
friends,
people who love you.
And sometimes…
because they are always there…
we stop SEEING them.
We assume:
tomorrow.
Later.
Next week.
Another dinner.
Another phone call.
Another holiday.
Then one day…
the music changes.
Someone moves.
Someone becomes ill.
Someone leaves.
Someone dies.
Now the chair is gone.
And suddenly the ordinary moment you once ignored looks priceless.
That is the cruel part of hindsight.
We often recognize value AFTER availability disappears.
Why wait?
BE STILL AND KNOW
Sometimes what you are looking for is already sitting right in front of you.
But you are too busy:
judging,
planning,
worrying,
chasing,
comparing,
or wanting something else
to notice it.
Be still.
Look around.
What is already working?
Who is already there?
What do you already have?
What part of your present life would you miss terribly if it disappeared tomorrow?
There is your clue.
Sometimes appreciation is simply recognizing the chair BEFORE the music stops.
SO THAT IS WHAT IT WAS ALL ABOUT
Anyone who has lived long enough learns something uncomfortable.
Life is shorter than it first appears.
When young…
years seem enormous.
Later…
you look back and wonder:
WHERE DID THEY GO?
And with maturity comes another realization.
A lot of what seemed complicated…
was actually simple.
Love the people.
Do the work.
Keep your word.
Enjoy the meal.
Take the trip.
Say thank you.
Forgive sooner.
Laugh more.
Pay attention.
The basics were sitting there the whole time.
We were busy complicating them.
THE SOLUTION AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION
There is a famous warning about living in quiet desperation.
Whether people agree with every philosophical interpretation of that phrase or not…
the underlying question is useful:
WHY LIVE DESPERATELY?
Why spend your life waiting for some future moment to finally give you permission to live?
The old Latin expression CARPE DIEM means:
SEIZE THE DAY.
Good advice.
But I would add something.
Do not merely seize the day.
NOTICE IT FIRST.
You cannot appreciate what you refuse to see.
THE MOMENT
This may be the greatest chair in the room.
THE MOMENT.
Right now.
Not yesterday.
Not next year.
NOW.
This is where:
love happens,
conversation happens,
work happens,
food tastes,
music plays,
people laugh,
decisions get made,
and life actually takes place.
I like spontaneity.
I like flow.
I do not want to spend every moment mentally living three weeks ahead.
Why?
Because everything available to me…
is available HERE.
That was the good news.
The great news?
You have moments too.
Everybody does.
The question is what kind of steward you are with them.
DO YOU HEAR IT?
The music is playing right now.
You may not hear it literally.
But it is playing.
Your life is moving.
People are around you.
Opportunities exist.
Experiences are forming.
And one day…
all of this particular music will stop.
That is not morbid.
That is simply true.
The point is not to become afraid.
The point is to become AWARE.
Appreciate what is here while it is here.
THE GAME IS NOT ABOUT PANIC
Now…
do not spend life terrified that every song is ending.
That misses the point too.
You do not enjoy musical chairs by staring nervously at the chair the entire time.
You move.
You laugh.
You play.
But you remain aware.
That is the balance.
Live fully…
without pretending things last forever.
THE BEST CHAIR MAY ALREADY BE YOURS
This deserves another look.
People spend enormous energy trying to acquire:
more money,
more recognition,
another house,
another relationship,
another title,
another opportunity.
Fine.
Growth is good.
But before running toward another chair…
look at the one you already have.
A good marriage.
A friend.
A home.
A healthy day.
A job.
A meal.
A conversation.
Peace.
You might already be sitting in something another person would give almost anything to have.
RICHIE SPEAKS
Here is one Richie rule:
Do not wait for the music to stop before you recognize the value of the chair.
Another:
Life changes quickly.
Appreciation should move faster.
And one more:
The smartest player is not the one who panics when the music stops.
It is the one who was paying attention while it played.
PEARLS FROM THE BOOKS
From the spirit of Pearls for the Soul:
“What is present today deserves attention before absence teaches its value tomorrow.”
From the spirit of God I AM:
“The gift of the moment is not hidden; it is often simply overlooked.”
From the spirit of It Is Finished:
“Release the endless chase long enough to recognize what has already been placed within reach.”
PEARLS INSIGHT
The musical-chairs metaphor works because life contains:
limited time,
changing conditions,
unexpected transitions,
and opportunities that do not remain available forever.
Preparation matters in business.
Attention matters in relationships.
Presence matters in daily life.
The practical lesson is not to live anxiously.
It is to recognize value while access still exists.
Gratitude practiced in the present reduces the likelihood that appreciation arrives only after something is gone.
PEARLS CONNECTION
This connects directly with THE VALUE OF TIME IS PRICELESS…TAKE YOUR TIME.
Time moves whether we notice it or not.
It also connects with YOU MADE IT TO THIS VERY MOMENT…HERE AND NOW.
The moment is where life is actually available.
And THE GIFT OF ANOTHER DAY…GIVE THANKS RIGHT NOW reminds us that appreciation works best BEFORE the day becomes yesterday.
FINAL SAY
The music is playing.
Move.
Laugh.
Participate.
Enjoy the game.
But pay attention.
Notice:
who is beside you,
what you already have,
what is working,
what matters,
and what deserves your gratitude.
Because eventually…
something changes.
The music stops.
A chair disappears.
A chapter closes.
That is life.
But for the person who lived…
who appreciated…
who loved…
who noticed…
the end of one song does not erase the music that was already enjoyed.
That may be the real point.
Do not wait until something is gone…
to discover it was good.
Take your seat in the moment.
Enjoy the music while it plays.
And when the music finally stops…
may you be able to say:
I WAS THERE.
I HEARD IT.
I LIVED IT.
— Richie
Pearls for the Soul
when you feed the soul, you feed everything.
https://pearlsforthesoul.com
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