Just Tom's Musings Thoughts on art, programming, and whatever else.

More about Chess and Life Decisions

Chess playing invariably involves taking risks.  Any move is a risk.  Selecting the best move, according to a well-conceived plan ahead of time however, is less risky.   Even though I run my own small business, and am working on starting up another business, I’m actually fairly averse to risk.  I am married, and a father of five children, and the sole income provider.  I have a mortgage, bills to pay, and lots of responsibilities.

I play chess best when I am patient.  Success usually follows if  I adhere to the classic principles of developing my major pieces, castling early, and getting everything into a good position for a solid attack.  Those principles relate to life pretty well too.   Becoming successful in life usually requires getting an education, and gaining skills that will be marketable.   That sort of path takes time and study and preparation.  In chess,  launching an attack early can be exciting, bold, and daring; but in the end it usually proves foolish.  It’s safer and wiser to be patient.  When I force myself to take the time and the necessary steps; quietly moving pieces into position where they will support the attack, the chances for success are much greater.

Initially in college, I began as an art major.  I have always wanted to be able to spend more and more time, full-time if possible, working on my art.  But being able to support a family was also important to me.  I wanted a successful marriage and family.   And I felt that developing technical skills would be the best path to financial stability along the way.   That has definitely turned out to be the case and we have been tremendously blessed for taking the time to lay the groundwork.  It has required me to wait to really pursue my artistic passions in a full-time capacity.  I have had to relegate painting and art mostly to the weekends.

However, that doesn’t mean it’s not important to me, or that I’m not trying to put myself into a position to “attack”.  But it does mean I’ve had to be patient, and make some sacrifices. I also have faith that if we try to follow God’s commandments, and seek to do His will first, He will ultimately bless us in ways we cannot now imagine.  My personal faith — and I believe it accords with the teachings of the scriptures — is that God desires to make all our fondest dreams and righteous desires come true.   In the LDS church, we teach that we are actually children of God himself – and on a path to become like God.  That is, that God desires to give us everything He has – “all that the Father hath” – as Christ said.

So the sacrifices of this life are temporary. There’s nothing we might be asked to give up now that God cannot restore to us ten times (or ten thousand times).  We just tend to want it now!  But keeping an eternal perspective is critical.  The plan of God is not to keep us in misery, or to have us sacrifice un-endingly.  But He does test and challenge us, to see if we will keep the faith even in adversity. The promises He holds out to us if we are faithful are literally unimaginable.

“Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”  (1 Cor. 2:9)

Planning carefully, and strategically,  approaching decisions in life in as a chess game has been a helpful strategy for me.  But it’s not the only consideration I use in my life.  In the Book of Mormon, there’s a story of a prophet named Lehi, who receives instructions from God to take his family and leave the wicked (at the time) city of Jerusalem, and to journey out into the wilderness.  God tells them He will lead them to a new promise land.

Lehi and his family journey through this wilderness for many years.  They don’t know where exactly they are going. At the beginning of their journey, God gives Lehi a small instrument.  It’s a compass of sorts, called the Liahona.  It’s operation is conditional on their righteousness and faithfulness to Him.  If they are living the way they should be, and keeping the commandments of God, not bickering or complaining (a constant problem), then the Liahona points the way towards the more fertile parts of the wildernes where they can find food, and safety.

This story of going out into the wilderness and allowing oneself to be completely guided by God always comes back to me.  I think God does expect us to plan, and to think, and prepare ourselves – as in good chess playing.  But there’s also this idea of relying on the Lord, especially when you feel compelled by his promptings to make a certain decision.  I believe that story of the Liahona is symbolic of how God deals with each of us on our journey through our own personal wilderness.  If we leave the sinful world behind, and exercise some faith in Him, he can and will guide us.  We are blessed in numerous ways and ultimately come to our beautiful personal land of promise.