When playing a chess game, either online or over the chessboard, there comes a point in the game where you have to ask yourself the following question: What happens next? What piece do I move? Is it my knight, bishop, queen, rook, or do I push a pawn one or two steps forward?
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Well, this is the question I have asked myself recently. In this life, what happens next for me? With more than a decade of playing chess, if there is one thing I admire about the game is what a good job it does when it comes to imitating life. Thus, where the quote chess is life originated from.
The correlation of chess with life is the art of planning. You have a plan on how to defeat your opponent by attacking their king. You have outlined in your mind your moves and how you want to achieve the desired result. Boom! Your opponent plays something different from what you were expecting, and you did not see this coming at all.
And just like life, the same game is played. You have your six-year plan or maybe more. After university, come out with good grades, you get a good job, build a career, buy a house, and build a life. Then, out of the blue, something happens. Changes the plan completely, the country's unemployment rate racks you up into its statistics. Getting a good job moves from having the qualification to who you know and what your influence is. This forces you to rethink the plan and change the strategy.
Anyway, there are also times when the plan plays out and things turn out as planned and right on schedule. It is never so certain that it will always be the case. Better still, it is rarely the case. The uncertainty that comes with walking the surface of this earth through the journey called life is what makes it synonymous with the uncertainty that comes with playing chess. You cannot be so sure what the game will turn out to be right from the beginning; you can only make your prediction based on the information you have and plan anyway.
The world around us is constantly teeming with individuals who are worried about what the future holds. What happens next for me? How will things play out for me? What will my future look like? The case of what happens next can come in different forms; however, you may want to put it or whatever choice of words you may decide to use. This kind of built-up suspense has been a strong tool in the making of some outstanding movies, and more specifically, horror movies. Building up the suspense for the audience keeps them wanting more.
No wonder fortune tellers have customers who keep coming back wanting to know what the future holds for them. But over time, it will be more helpful to overcome the suspense of what happens next comes with understanding patience and resilience. You have to be patient to see how things play out, even when you have a plan.
In chess, your opponent surprises you with a move you were not expecting, you have to stay calm and patient to see how it plays out. Do not give in to the move by folding or showing off your emotion. Sit back and re-strategize when the going gets tough. What happens next should be faced with courage and not anxiety.
written at 1:35am
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Thanks For Reading!
