Wee bit of philosophy for you on a Monday morning....

I recently thought about this whilst teaching my children how to play this game....

Basically, life is like the game of chess.....

As boring as that sounds, it's true.... there is SO much you can teach your children about life, from the game of chess.... I'll explain....

In chess, you have one objective.... capture the enemy King.... in life, this represents your goal or ambition, be it that car you've always wanted, the house you've always imagined living in, or even that dream job.... you have a goal, a purpose, a reason to play.....

If you're going to play, you will need patience.... you won't reach your goal in 2 or 3 easy steps.... if you're lucky enough to achieve your goal so quickly, then you will have learned nothing on the way.... and will quickly fail the next time round, so take your time and do things properly.... put your plan in motion and follow every step to the letter....

It won't come easy.... and you will need a plan, strategy and tactics (and sometimes a bit of luck) to achieve your goal.... and nothing will be as straightforward as it seems....

Mistakes are good.... we learn from them, (hence the phrase "you learn from your mistakes").... and you will know what to keep your eye on in the future.... Mistakes can also be corrected or rectified.... so don't worry about them....

Sacrifices must be made.... sometimes you have to lose a little for the greater good.... losing a piece to achieve a better position, cutting ties with a person/company because they don't play a part in your plan, it's the same thing..... and you shouldn't be afraid to let it happen.... relationships can be built again after you have achieved your goal....every move you make will have an advantage or disadvantage, sometimes both.... know the difference....

The pieces on the board represent your family and friends.... they're all in this to help you.... each of them has their own attributes and qualities.... bringing different skills to the table.... and will in turn, play an integral role in your plan to help you achieve your goal....
Know their importance.... understand their part in your plan, but also know that some of them cannot help you at times, so don't be afraid to leave some of them out of your plan....
Also understand that some of them will be willing to make sacrifices for you.... protect those ones.... they are of utmost importance to you....

Things work better when everyone sticks together.... a good few pieces in the centre of the board are FAR better than the same pieces scattered across the board.... the same is true for your strategy.... it will work better if everyone is together on things and not off trying to be a hero doing things their own way, this is YOUR game, therefore YOUR plan, so don't be afraid to cut your losses with a rogue one....

When the timing is right, strike.... you will know yourself when you're ready, once you've strategically positioned all your pieces, and your plan is in place.... go for it....

Don't be afraid to fail the first time round.... like I said above, it won't be easy or straightforward, but you can always reset the board and start again....

That's just my analogy of it all....

Want to teach your children some important life lessons?

Teach them chess.....

Thanks for reading