I found myself reliving some old, nostalgic glories this week while playing the original Legend of Zelda. After playing this game so many times, both first and second quests, I used to be able to tell you everything there was to know about the game. Unfortunately, the years without have took their toll and I found myself falling prey to one of the few tricks the game plays on you, that of door repair charges. After kicking myself for losing over 20 rupees because I was too slow thinking to quickly key in the cheat to stop this trick (go to the inventory screen and push the UP and A buttons together after the old geezer starts taking your money), I started thinking about the circumstances of the situation. This let me to this week’s video game epiphany:
“Don’t be too quick to open every door you see, otherwise it might cost you.”
A perfect example for me falling victim to this way of thinking occurred right as I transitioned out of military service. I had moved back to my hometown and was job hunting. After so many busts and interviews that went nowhere, I was getting desperate to find proper employment. I ended up taking a minimum wage job just to make ends meet as I continued to troll the employment websites and drop resumes everywhere. As luck would have it, my salvation came in the form of a call from a IT contracting company. The company offered me a contract IT position with intent-to-hire for a great salary at a reputable company. I was ecstatic. I was finally gonna have my head above water after barely getting by for almost 4 months.
The next day I received another job interview offer for a full-time IT position at a civil service organization nearby. Upon a quick glance, the posted salary seemed to be quite less so I shrugged it off and signed with the contract company. I didn’t even stop to consider going to the interview and seeing what all was offered. I jumped into the contract position with both feet and started running. However, after reviewing my new benefits package, I realized my new contract position didn’t really offer any benefits at all. My high salary was gutted by at least 20% for medical benefits alone. Furthermore, the contract was only for 3 months with possible extensions. I kicked myself just like I did recently while playing the game. I immediately tried to make contact with the other recruiter for civil service job only to find that the position had been filled. A little over a year later, my contract was dissolved and I was back to square one with little to show for it.
We often find ourselves struggling in life, scrapping and clawing, trying to move forward in anyway we can. In these times, we can get desperate to see growth, opportunity or even just make ends meet. Because of that, we can get careless and make hasty decisions without taking a moment to stop and consider the circumstances and possible consequences of those decisions. We’ve all done it, there’s no shame in that. The important thing is that you learn from it and hopefully not fall victim to it again in the future. I often wonder what might have been if I have just stopped and considered all my options before making that hasty decision. Verily, the first, second or even third door of opportunity you see might not be the door you need right now.
The Legend of Zelda teaches us that next to Power and Courage, Wisdom is the most important attribute you can obtain and exhibit. Power and Courage cannot function properly without it. Who knew that a simple game over three decades old could dole out life lessons while you are out slaying moblins and grinding out rupees for that expensive blue ring?
