Don’t play it safe–play the game!

MEILY. His daring risk paid off—bountifully!

For more than a month now, the new “Deal or No Deal” game show hasn’t produced an instant millionaire—but, not for want of trying. Its panel of celebrity contestants (a new one of 20 is created each month) have done their darnedest to beat the odds, break the bank—and confound the show’s mysterious resident Banker!

Only after failing to do that over and over again have they finally realized that the game is almost completely a matter of pure “luck of the draw,” so all of their shouts, screams and tears are just begging the point and beating a comatose horse, because the vagaries of luck have already ordained how each game will ultimately pan out.

Last Monday, however, “millionaire” dreams finally became yummy reality, and Bearwin Meily became the new edition’s first big winner. —Well, with a name like Bearwin, how could he not have emerged triumphant? Hence, all other celebrities should get their names altered to a more success-conducive spelling—like Giselle Sanchez changing her name to Winona Sanchez, right?

Less giddily and more instructively, while we believe that pure luck is what really seals the deal on “Deal,” Bearwin’s way of playing the game last Monday could teach us a thing or two, not just about doing well in game shows, but also about living life itself! Here’s how:

Toward the end of his game, Bearwin had only three attache cases left unopened, and the Banker offered him a very enticing “bribe” of P600,000 to quit while he was ahead.

Go for broke

That’s a lot of money—but Bearwin decided to go for broke and bet that the second to the last case he opened would contain the lesser amount. —True enough, his case contained the million bucks, so he won not just the already very yummy P600,000—but the whole hot and yummy enchilada!

Now, for the instructive part: Bearwin shared that he was indeed tempted to play it safe and get out of probable harm’s way by settling for the proferred P600,000—which was already a big bonanza!

But, he thought to himself: This is a game show—so why not play the game, instead of playing it safe?

—And, for being such a daring risk-taker, he became the new “deal’s” first millionaire!

To be sure, many more contestants have opted to take huge risks on the show—only to see their pot of gold blow up in front of their flummoxed faces! But, the point is, this Bear didn’t—which is what makes him a winner!

As Meily realistically observed, even the million bucks he won will be spent in the next few months—so, the game isn’t just about the money. Like life itself, it’s also about daring to expect the best, not the worst—and, once in a wonderful while, luck and life oblige!