Gly Games Podcast

What is a “GLY GAME”?

For the past year, I’ve had a recurring question: What story do I want to tell now? I imagine, for the leaders & creators that are reading this, on some level you have or are asking the same question too. One answer continues to echo in me: Love Life. Tell Truth. Play Games. So I’ve been focusing almost exclusively on playing “Gly Games” because they consistently help me to align with these guiding principles, which always on some level feels good! I’ve noticed that as I live in alignment, life flows more naturally & easefully. Scarcity, judgement, and fear are replaced with abundance, clarity, and freedom. Steadily, an intention I set years ago to be a space that inspires & empowers anyone I touch to more deeply experience this shift in themselves continues to expand. Consequently, this creates a flywheel effect where I experience that shift even deeper in myself. In this way, I’ve been witnessing the transformation of my reality… from the inside-out. Now you may be wondering… “What are Gly Games?” I’m eager to share, but first, let’s start with… What is a Game? I think of games as “structured play.” And I think of play “as any engaging activity, FREELY CHOSEN by you, that FEELS GOOD to you.” In today's adult world, we often forget the power of play, yet it is through play that we can most effectively reimagine & reshape our realities. It breaks down barriers, sparks creativity, and opens us up to new possibilities. Moreover, growing scientific research is showing that play has a host of benefits, including: * promoting better health & longevity, * enhancing focus & performance, * improving creative thinking, problem-solving, & decision-making. Essentially, play makes us more joyful, innovative, and effective leaders & creators! (Watch Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwyZIWeBpRw] or these Nobel Prize Laureates [https://www.nobelprize.org/if-you-relax-you-are-creative/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email] to learn more.) Games are a type of play that I’ve found always have the 4Rs: * Rules: the structure – the who, what, when, where, why, & how of the game we’re playing. * Rewards: the benefits we get while playing the game. * Resistance: the challenges we experience internally & externally while playing the game. * Result: the end goal or, better said, how to end the game. The last and almost implicit element of the 4Rs that arise in games is: * stakes: what you stand to win or lose by playing the game They are “what’s on the line.” They can be tangible (ie. money, prizes) or intangible (ie. reputation, pride). Moreover, they vary depending on the stakeholder’s perspective, values, or role in the game. Stakes influence how seriously we play, how much we invest, and how much we care about the end result of the game. I’ve mapped out below what the 4Rs might look like across “Traditional Games” that we are familiar with: We can also apply the 4Rs framework to another type of game that every human being plays, though they may not feel like games to many of us. Let’s call this category of games “Life Games.” What is a Life Game? I think of Life Games as “any HUMAN ACTIVITY we engage in”. Going to the gym or to work or on a date may be parts of the Exercise, Money, or Relationship Life Games, respectively. Each of these games have their own set of Rules, Rewards, Resistance, Result, and stakes that dictate our range of acceptable actions and outcomes. Notice, however, that when playing our Life Games [https://youtu.be/sfjdXHvonAs?si=tol5Zqx80sBXxB2D], the stakes often feel very real. In our society, whether we win or lose these games seem like the difference between being partnered & happy or single & lonely, healthy & alive or sick & dead, fulfilled with a positive legacy or feeling like our life had no meaning. The worst part is that we sometimes get so stuck focusing on these dire stakes that we have often largely imagined. The thought, “If I don’t ABC, I won’t get XYZ, and I will feel bad,” is not objectively true. There is a reality where you: * don’t get XYZ and feel better. * do DEF and get XYZ. * do ABC, get XYZ, and feel like crap. * or some other permutation of this. When we allow the imagined stakes of the games we’re playing to only be serious & dire, the game may cease to feel good, cease to feel playful… and may become “work.” I think of work as any activity you think you “have to do” (but often don’t “want to do”) in order to receive some benefit. And when life feels like work, it could lead to the very outcomes we don’t desire. Now I can already hear 2 groups of people thinking: * “Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do, even if you don’t feel like doing it.” * “Speak for yourself. I like working!” To the 1st group: Yes, a baby doesn’t just get born and a house doesn’t just get built. There is actual labor that takes place that sometimes feels physically, mentally, & emotionally taxing. However, while discomfort may be inevitable, suffering is a choice. To the 2nd group: Yes, work can feel very enjoyable. It took a while for me to realize that I actually like working. In fact, I hope everyone follows the guidance of that timeless aphorism: “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Because then your work becomes your play! At some point in my journey of alignment, I began asking myself: * What if I could reduce or completely release the stakes? * What if I could be in a good feeling state irrespective of my external conditions – ie. physical health, relationship status, personal finances, etc? * What if I could enjoy the journey as much if not more than the end result? I began discovering that the version of me that was more likely to take new, bold actions and attract aligned people & opportunities that could lead to the result I desired was not the fearful, narrow-minded, scarcity-driven version of me. It was the creative, lighthearted, worthy version of me. But it was a bit challenging to consistently return to that playful state that children seem to embody so effortlessly. That’s where “Gly Games” come in! Gly Games = Conscious Games A Gly Game is a way to “consciously gamify life.” It is “conscious structured play” (particularly for the non-traditional games in life). The essence of a Gly Game is Inspiration because it is inspired from within. It’s about allowing the spirit or consciousness in us to breathe life-giving ideas or visions into our minds & bodies. As we align our thoughts, feelings, and actions with the energy, clarity, and guidance of our infinite Self, we naturally transform our finite reality from the inside-out. To illustrate this further, think back to a time where you were in a situation where you felt utterly miserable. Then something happened – maybe you received a grateful thought or an exciting text message – that caused your whole mood to shift. Suddenly you were loving life, noticing new things, and perhaps even enjoying whatever you were previously doing. Virtually nothing changed externally, you were technically still in the same situation you were in before; yet everything had changed because you had an internal shift. You started focusing on a better feeling story or perspective that gave you access to a whole new realm of possibilities! Let’s see if we can experience a shift like that right now and… Create a quick Gly Game! I’m going to invite you to follow 3 simple steps: * Sit or stand comfortably, and close your eyes. * Take 3 deep conscious breaths. * Answer the following question with the first thing that comes to mind… What transformation am I ready for in my life now? (Take a moment now to follow these steps.) Ok, how do you feel? Did you receive a flash of inspiration – a clear thought of what you desire to Be, Do, or Have? However, for it to be a Gly Game, we take it a step further and “feel into” the underlying, unconditional energy of that thought. We do this by asking one simple question: “WHY?” For example, if you had clarity that you desire a physical transformation… * “ I’m ready to become fit now!” …ask WHY until you find that pure & true vibe that resonates deeply inside. * WHY do I want to become more fit? To lose weight. * WHY do I want to lose weight? To feel more energy in my body. * WHY do I want more energy in my body? To feel strong! * WHY do I want to feel strong? To feel safe. * WHY do I want to feel safe? To be at ease. Sometimes the resonant energy is quiet & still, other times it's loud & rippling. However it manifests, you’ll know when you’ve felt it; and when you do, just sit with it… be in it. You may also notice that other inspired ideas & impulses arise when you’re in that space. Give yourself permission to follow them if it feels like a “Hell Yes,” for when you do, you’re aligning with the creative energy of your spirit. It will lead YOU to exactly where YOU will be most fulfilled & impactful. Set the intention to revisit that energy periodically in the coming days and weeks, so it gets clearer and easier to drop into it. If you are conscious of this underlying, unconditional feeling or energy as you play your Life Games and are steadily aligning with it, then congratulations – you’re playing a Gly Game. And guess what… You Won The Game! A Gly Game essentially serves as a conscious “wrapper” or “anchor” for you, so that no matter what Life Game you’re currently playing, you can be aware of your new story, which grants you access to an unconditional energy, freely chosen by you, that feels good to you. I like to say, “Consciousness must always have a seat at the table.” This way you don’t lose perspective, and you play first & foremost on your own terms. So Now What? Sometimes we want to take our Gly Games to the next level and design them to even more closely resemble Traditional Games. In the next episode [https://glyvolner.substack.com/p/how-do-i-design-my-own-game], I’ll take you deeper behind the scenes of my Gly Games Design Flow, so you can design a game for yourself, your community… or perhaps me! To get notified when I publish new episodes and support my work with Gly Games, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Lastly, I’m going to challenge you to get a little “Volner-able” with me. (**See what I did there? Cause my first name is… Glyvolner.) Comment below: What Life Game – ie. health, relationship, work – do you want to consciously gamify? And WHY? (Get as specific as it feels good.) P.S. If you know you’d love my support to kickstart your playful transformation in the next 30 days, book a short Clarity Call [https://calendly.com/glyvolner/15min] now. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glyvolner.substack.com [https://glyvolner.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]