Coffee for Dessert

I remember my first failure. There were many pieces remaining, but the grin on my opponents face deemed the board irrelevant as he deftly moved his rook to h8..”Checkmate!”

At age 8, I was shocked. I felt defeated. I failed and I didn’t even know where I went wrong. And as we worked back through the positions my opponent guided me toward the cause of my failure. And in these moments of reflection, man can uncover subtle forces guiding his journey.

As a child, it is essential to learn from mistakes — failure is expected. As an adult, mistakes are still expected — but failure is no longer an option. Artists find a special way of approaching failure, and everyone is the artist of their own life. God presented the clay — but it must be molded.

It is generally conceded that man is not perfect; Nonetheless, we search for perfection. Nature is not perfect. Weather is not perfect. Cities are not perfect. Government is far from perfect. Religion is that search for perfection.

So in this search for our ideal behaviors, we must also examine the mistakes of man throughout time. In this examination, perspective is important. Mistakes in one realm appear as excellencies under other circumstances. Scholars study ancient documents and archeological ruins to provide the very context we need to understand perceived mistakes.

But until we unlock our subconscious thought patterns, we are limited to evolutionary instincts. Understanding your instinctive behaviors will lead you to success, not only on the chessboard, but also in life, in society, in nature, and ultimately will lead you to the heart of God.