Life is Like a Game of Chess

 

I grew up playing many games with my family and friends. Many of these games included running, jumping and climbing. 

 

Running around the open fields while jumping over mud puddles or cracks in the sidewalk. I would knock on my friend’s door until my knuckles were red so we could climb over open canals to catch water bugs.

 

What I did not often do was sit down to play board games when I was this young.

 

It may have been like this saying that life is like a game of chess. 

Wait, I don’t play chess. 

 

Yes, I know that part of this may have been because I needed to come down from the trees with my cousins. 

 

What if this can be more to learn about now. Let’s play with this!

 

I have come down out of the trees even though I still jump in mud puddles when it rains and knock on my friend’s door. 

 

There are a few things I think as well. So, I began to wonder about what I can learn.

 

I do like to play with others and to learn with them so I can move forward with this.

I read about the game of chess.

A few more pieces to think about came from what I read about the game of chess. 

 

The two areas include being patient and looking at things from a different perspective. 

 

First comes patience. Now, to be honest it’s probably why I have not learned how to play chess! 

 

So many ways to move on this board! Not only front and then back like my preferred game of checkers. 

 

Nope. 

Each chess piece can move in its own way and interacts with other chess pieces in specific ways. 

 

Here is where I am beginning to see that life is like a game of chess and may take time to learn more. 

 

Being patient can teach me that there is no one way to do things in life. 

 

I have learned this in life many times for myself and for those around me. 

One of those people was our son, Dallin. He knew that there was more than one way to do what he wanted. 

 

We listened and did it with him. 

This means that I can keep learning this part of the game. 

 

Patience and chess?  Who knew! 

 

Ok, so you may be one of the many who know this and now I do as well! 

The second piece that can help when life is like a game of chess.

Let’s look at the second piece that can help when life is like a game of chess. 

 

What was that again? 

That’s right. 

Looking at things with a new perspective. 

 

I will tell you that this may be the one way that I may be able to learn how to play this board game. 

 

Looking at a situation from the other side, and then from all sides, can be helpful when playing a game. 

 

Can it be a good thing when looking at the next phase in life? 

 

That is the question of my day. 

Is there another way to look at this moment perhaps especially when I am in a space with someone else. 

 

I will share something that happened recently. 

 

While I was sitting in a meeting with other like-minded leaders, I suddenly realized that I felt like I was in a room of opponents. Not working towards a goal with them but had become peppered with questions about the need at hand. 

 

When I was able to sit back and consider the other perspectives in the room, and what feelings had come to the surface, I soon realized that the questions were coming with a sense of uncertainty of what to do next. 

 

This helped me to sit in stillness and know that my calm would stay in place. 

 

Answers could come at a later date, perhaps with individual conversations when I am sitting with others. 

 

Here is what I learned. 

 

Patience and perspective may be ways to add to running and jumping that can go along with learning more. 

 

The game of chess has helped me know that I can take on all of these ways to play in life. 

Who wants to join in this part? I am here to try it with you!