The Next Move

Chess, the age-old game.  This past weekend I played with some of my nephews and they had a keen interest in learning the game.

Chess is a difficult game of strategy. Players need to always anticipate the moves that can be made well after the one at hand.  With my young nephews, it was a constant match of trying to put me in check – that became their singular focus. So, while each one took their turn to go against my limited skill, I was able to remove their pieces one by one with great efficiency because of the preoccupation each had with placing me in check, from which I easily removed myself each time. 

Sometimes I worry that this is a little like our days and weeks; we can get focused on one issue, problem, or challenge and all of our work and worry becomes laser-focused on that. While we double down, all kinds of opportunities, joys, possible solutions and new challenges could be getting plucked off the board like a ruthless aunt creaming us at chess.  

Chess is about the immediate move and the possible next three or four. Our day to day is about the present, mindful of all that is around us now, with an eye to all that is possible once we make our next move.

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