Chess is like Life

You can't control the outcome but you can change the possibilities. Each new move you make on the board is like a new day in everyday life. Every action you perform in life either takes you a step forward towards your goals or a step backwards -- like how the right move in chess can take you a step closer to checkmating your opponent and winning or the wrong move in chess can get you a step closer to losing.

One day you're unbeatable and winning in chess and the next day your opponent is schooling you and teaching you a lesson. Just as in life, one day you're the lion and the next day you're the fleeing zebra. One day you're the car windshield and the next day you're the smashed mosquito.

The number of possible moves and combinations in chess are nearly limitless, as is the possibilities and sheer randomness of life. You can't win em all, and just as easily as you reached the top, just as carelessly you can trip and fall and lose everything you worked for.

Chess and life mirror one another, and to win at life requires the same principles to winning a game of chess: careful planning, methodical action, lack of complacence even when doing well, and a calm, objective mindset even when losing.

As in life as in chess, you should never give up even if you're losing terribly and feeling hopeless. Play it out till the end no matter what. Don't let your opponent win so easily by resigning. Don't let life bring you down so easily when things don't go your way. Wait it out and be patient. Your opponent could make a mistake and allow you to regain ground. The mistake you made previously could have been a blessing in disguise, opening up a new combination that checkmates your opponent had you not seen otherwise.

Everything happens for a reason in life. We may make foolish mistakes, but if we can overcome the regret and learn from them, we can only become better and stronger.