Find Your Inner Piece

Have you found your inner piece?

In the analogy of life as the game of chess, where do you stand?
Is your chess piece equivalent to a king, a queen, a bishop, knight, rook or a pawn?
What kind of stuff are you made of; hand carved from wood, finely chiseled into marble, maybe molded metal or plastic?

Thinking in terms of your daily decision making, do you tend to move in only one direction or pattern repeatedly or are you more flexible than most?
Do you tend to be direct and move straight ahead or are you always looking for an angle?
How many steps do you generally take at a time? If your answer is only one step, you may be a pawn or you may even be a king. How can you tell which one you'd be? Well, answer this, can the game go on without you?

Wouldn't you agree that chess is not just a great game, it's a great analogy for life? I know I'm not alone in feeling this, in fact there is a Chinese proverb that states, “Life is like a game of Chess, changing with each move”. Examine this idea for a moment...think about how your life has changed with each move that you've made. It certainly stands true for me, I have seen and felt the sting of instant karma when I've made bad decisions. I have lost friends for acting inappropriately, had romantic relationships crumble due to not prioritizing others needs, I've even been fired a couple of times in my life. My favorite firing was from my job as a waiter at TGIFridays for snapping the bartender in his rear with a towel. Although I've made what I've been told are countless mistakes in life, love, business, in general, I still feel everything in my life has happened for a reason, a master plan even, and I feel truly blessed and lucky to be where I am today. For example, even though I was canned from TGIFriday's, that is where I first met the woman who would become my wife, the mother of my children and the love of my life. So what is the point, exactly? Good question, let's take a look.

One take away is to be a good player, or in other words, to make wise decisions. I've been learning to be a bit wiser about my decision making, and the game of my life has truly been changing for the better fairly consistently, for decades. This life hasn't been perfect, although it's imperfections have always been just right. Whenever I've swayed or strayed from the path of peace, a strange guide of sorts, or a guiding force, has gently (or not so gently) nudged me to make a better move.

Another point of this analogy is to remind us to play to win. Winners listen to their inner voice of reason, and have a purpose behind every move. There is a reason behind every win, do you know what your key reason is to win? Speaking of winners, Bobby Fischer once said, “You have to have the fighting spirit. You have to force moves and take chances”. I see how this rule applies to all areas of the game of life.

Still, losers exist because there is in the game of chess, there are two results for every action, because each move makes an impact on both players. Not every action is created equal, some actions are moves for moving's own sake while others have the force of foresight behind them. The universe doesn't judge right move from wrong move, nor see anything loss as a mistake, but rather information which contains a potential playful lesson.

Just like everything from your computer to your relationships, chess has an operating system of rules, such as basic cause and effect. Thinking several moves ahead gives you the power to be a cause, and to affect your opponent. There is much to learn about mastering this OS, and believe me, my game has plenty of room for improvement. Once these rules and powerful habits of thought are assimilated though practice and repetition, mastery can be attained. I believe that if we study greatness and repeat good moves and patterns, the more games we can and will win.

One thing that is for sure, there has always been winners and losers. In chess, as in life, the winners are the one's that can see several steps ahead in their minds. The winners adjust their direction if they have to, but always have a target in mind. Maybe that target is to win, or maybe it is to become the best at what you do. Either way, the best players begin with the end in mind and essentially go backwards from there to find the winning steps to follow.

Maybe it's because I have been beat by far better players so many times, but sometimes I'd like to change the rules. What if we could make it so that we'll all win, together! I'll tell you, it wouldn't be a coincidence if we all won simultaneously, it would mean that either we had all mastered the system as one unified whole, or that we will have agreed to changed the rules, maybe even mid-game.

Check.

Are the rules in your mind, your work and your home conducive to every party winning? Does everyone get their fair share of the pie? Are you, and everyone, at peace with your piece?

Check.

Proposed new rules in the game of life:
1. You can be any piece, white or black, anytime, for any reason.
2. You can move in any direction you choose.
3. You can move any character as many spaces as you'd like.
4. You can change your course mid turn as many times as you'd like, although it's really annoying to everyone else.
5. Opposite colors are now best mates, not foes, and can share squares.
6. No one ever dies (accept for natural chess piece causes such as baby or dog attacks).
7. The more squares you share, the better, but there is no scoring system. Be an assertive sharer, just because it's the right thing to do!
8. Both parties win while playing if they are having fun.
9. The game is officially over when both parties agree that you are done playing.


Check, mate!

Naw, forget it, you win.

It's almost useless to try to change the rules... just to make the game easier for the weaker players. I should just focus on building the skills and thought patterns necessary to become a better player.

Peace,
Alan

P.S. Original painting by me, Alan Schwartz

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