I was recently playing a game of 30 seconds.
Those who have played this before
Can attest to how high the stakes can become:
Somewhere along the way,
Some of us competitive types
Lump in more emotion and meaning
Into each win or loss than a board game calls for.

Its one thing to do something well
For its own sake
And another to make it a do or die
In honor of my ego.
There is wisdom in being able to stand apart
From the work I do
And not bind my identity to it.

Of course, I care about the work
I put heart into it,
But I tend to get in trouble when I put my heart on it.
The work cannot bear the weight of my identity
And either you will I distorted by the outcomes
Inflated by the success or crushed by failure
Or worse still,
Diminish my love of doing the work at all.