Learning from the me in the past

This was a blog post I made 3 years ago.Ironically, the advice I posted myself 3 years ago is exactly the advice I need right now..

Chess Principle's In Life April 14 2006

Its intresting how the flow of life would sometimes bring you to a point when you would simply look back and laugh on what you did before or even sometimes be puzzled on what and why things happen that made you do our react to those things.Well,recently Ive been studying chess games and theory using the chessmaster 10th edition programme I bought right after the national age group championship.After my lost at that tournament,I had wanted to further strengthen my play by buying the programme.After going through a couple of tutorials written by american grandmaster, Josh Waitzkin,his approach in chess amazed me through his grasp of knowledge about the game(or the black and white jungle as he calls it) and his idea of connecting real life situations with the basic principles of chess.The GM is well known for his affiliations in the chess world and martial arts and it dazzle’s me on how precise some of his chess principle’s could be used into life as well.Well, there’s this one principle,when you gain an advantage over your opponents pieces,your maybe up in material,having a piece or two,when suddenly you accidently blunder your game and your advantage you were having is lost.However,your position is still completely fine,but its just the mere thought that you once had an advantage is difficult for you to comprehend and blocks your thoughts in making the right decisions for your next moves.You are actually falling in a downward spiral of emotion that causes you to loose your way to succeed in the game.However,the simple thing to do is to just actually return to the position you are having,return to the surface of your thoughts,and solve the position without being engrossed in the thought that you once held an advantage.So how does this link to life?Well,the advantages that are gained are the good times in your life,you won a tournament,you scored straight a’s for exams,you get hope in obtaining something you want but suddenly,things take a twist,you loose disgracefully in the next tournament,you dont meet some people’s expectations,you are afraid thinking bout scholarships and stuff,you happen to feel things that you dont want to feel,you start thinking bout things that you wanted but you know you cant obtain and then you start to become binded by the thought that from a happy state,and suddenly your life turns into turmoil,and due to your reluctant manner to face the current scene but think of your past gains or status,then your going to make the next wrong step,and the next one after that too,if u dont return and focus your mind to the surface(in other words..snap out of it!) and face your problems as it is.FACE YOUR PROBLEMS AS IT IS NOW AND DONT THINK ABOUT THE PASS EARNINGS.Another thing I learn from chess is that sometimes all your knowledge about a principle would not apply for every situation.It should adapt and change in its own way according not to what the basic principle’s tell you,but to what the position demanded.For example,a key thing in chess is development,but while your piece is being attacked, should you really try to develop and not try to hinder or guard the piece that is bieng attacked?So in a way,we have to act based on what the situation demanded in life.Know your priorities.Understand the status quo.So sometimes when its actually a good thing to help other people out like wanting to help your school debate team debate in the next competition(which Im LONGINGto do),but due to the possibilities of gaining a scholarship interview thus its better to sit at home, which would simplify things in case of the oppurtunity.Although it is against your own will and nature,but because its what the current situation DEMANDED, then its a better thing to do.So basically,a rule of chess turns into,KNOW YOUR PRIORITIES.Know what is the best thing to do.There are actually lots of other principle’s that I can discuss but that would take ages….Hehe,hrmm..why am I writing this??Well,for one thing,we all face problems in life and this is a way for me to let it out.Secondly, is to show how intresting a simple game of chess could convey an idea that I could adapt in life.Hehe..so people,dont ask me why im so crazy bout the game coz u knoe wut?The game represents my life..=P~chess freak~


(just a note:Im not that freakish about chess now...Wat happened to me!??Lol)