Taboo: the game of unspeakable fun.

Teams compete and individuals take turns describing a word on a card. On that card, along with the word you’re trying to get your teammates to guess, there are five words that are deemed taboo—you’re not allowed to use them.

For example, say you have to get your teammates to guess baseball, but can’t say sport, game, pastime, hitter, pitcher or any part of the word baseball itself.

Now obviously there are plenty of other words you can use to describe baseball (HGH or steroids could be used, likely with much success, unfortunately), but for the most part, those words don’t inherently describe it. In fact, the two words I’ve listed have polluted baseball and are often the first things that come to mind, making the word baseball in games of Taboo produced before we knew (or accepted rather) that everyone was taking steroids a pretty simple one to describe.

This is fun; let’s keep playing. Next card: Tiger Woods.

A mere four months ago, what do you think his card said?

Golf. Nike. Masters. Champion. Greatest. And four months ago, with those five words out of the picture, it would have been more painful to describe Tiger than walking over hot coals and broken glass (ok, maybe a little extreme, but you get the point).

Today? Those words would create no problem. In fact, those words are probably the last that come to mind at this point. The first? Affair. Cheater. Unfaithful. Divorce. Out indefinitely. Lost sponsors. Fall from grace.

This isn’t about bashing Tiger or baseball. It’s about you.

Everyone and everything has a “card” of words that instantly come to mind when you hear it.

If your name was on a card, what five words would you want to be ruled out? No seriously, think of those words right now.

What words do you want to so obviously and accurately describe you that trying to think of others would make someone’s brain hurt?

What are the words I’d want on my card? Loving. Grateful. Humble. Creative. Difference maker.

But let’s be realistic. Plenty of people would be confused if they saw those words on my card. They would ask, “Is this the guy I’m thinking of?” Are the words you want to describe yourself different than the words that others would use?

It takes more than just wanting certain words to describe you. You have to live each and every day like those words are at your core; you can’t just say that’s what you’re about—you have to live it out.

Refuse to let words describing your mistakes define you. Live each day knowing what you want your card to say.

Your take: what would you want your card to say? Would others agree with the words you’ve chosen?