How to re-align your priorities and balance your life out

In the midst of a new framework, AI capabilities, hacker-space conference, IoT devices, search algorithm, online privacy, and the rest we see everyday - I strongly feel we have blindfolds over our eyes and do not pay attention to the most valuable news that's always in front of us.

We have limited time here on Earth.

All of the techniques we learn, conferences we go to, projects we create will fade into dust in due time. I'm as guilty as many of you; the news of x or y grabs our attention and wrings us into the corner. We spend weeks or months in it, until the next big thing grabs our attention and off we go again.

Like I have said before, humility not only can help you become a better programmer, but it can also improve your quality of life. Once you are humble, you become more grateful of your time and appreciate your life and tend to be more joyful. To help you in this regard, I invite you to play the token game.

The token game

A token

The rules of this game are you are going to get a random number of tokens. Some players will get more tokens than others, some less. All players will get to use their tokens in the arcade. You can play any game you want in the arcade.

You cannot steal, barter, or give away your tokens or tokens of another. The number of tokens you possess is unknown to you and others. Contrary to the gossip in the arcade, you cannot earn more tokens than you are given with.

All games cost the same number of tokens, although you can continue to play the same game as long as you wish. There is a detrimental effect that will be cast on you if you continue to play the same game, unless you play games that offer the restoration effect. The restoration effect will reduce the detrimental effect, and completely remove the detrimental effect if you play the game with the restoration effect long enough.

In addition to this detrimental/restoration bar (which roughly equates to an energy bar), you also have a bar you must manage your hunger and thirst. You can cash in your tokens to go into the cafeteria and eat and drink.

Players choose to use their tokens in different ways. Some players choose to play the games that dispense tickets, and exchange their tickets for cool prizes at the counter. The games that offer tickets also cost more tokens, so there is a trade-off to these games. Some players use their tokens to improve their in-game stats and play harder and harder levels on the arcade machines.

The best games in the arcade are perhaps the most challenging, but are the most fun and memorable, as they are some of the few games that offer multiplayer and take pictures of you and your teammates while you play the game. You must be vigilant, for there is a wicked NPC in the game that transforms into different people and tries to discourage you from playing these challenging, but memorable, games. Don't listen to them.

Every day, you must spend 1440 tokens in the arcade. You cannot spend more or less than 1440 tokens per day, the number is fixed. When you run out of tokens, all of your prizes are confiscated and you are escorted out of the arcade. Any pictures you had taken of you in the multiplayer games will be shared on the cork board in the arcade for those to see.

Given all of the following, would you like to play?

You are already playing the game

The game is life.

The game of life by Milton Bradley

New or returning player?

Here are some tips from a veteran player:

• Don't ruin the game for others, they want to experience the same games that you do.
• Some prizes can make your time in the arcade more fun, but these will be taken away eventually, so don't spend too much time saving up for them.
• Help others playing the multiplayer games, it makes the arcade more fun.
• Leaving your garbage in the arcade attracts rodents which degrade the quality of the arcade games. Pick up after yourself!
• Spend a few of your tokens improving your abilities, your skills transfer to other games.
• You cannot master every game, it is impossible.
• Focus on using your tokens wisely, and not on the fact that you have a limited supply - everyone does.
• Don't play one game for too long, you'll quickly hold a hefty detrimental effect that will take some time to recover from.
• Playing the games for others' benefit is a sure-way to meet the Creator of the arcade once you are escorted out of the arcade when your game time is done.