Coffee for Dessert

Is Chess Therapy? It can be if you want.
How so. Anger Release. Routine Building. Social Exposure. Opt-in and verbal-optional. Chess is therapy because it provides a mirror. Chess is therapy because it can be your baseline. Chess is therapy whenever it convinces anyone to focus in on one good move while silencing out everything else.

Chess is therapy because of the similarities shared between both disciplines. The ebbs and flows of life contribute in direct correlation to improvements and regressions which may result in gains or losses in other areas in our lives. In the abstract, we are what we focus on, yet the truth may really -truly– be, that what we are -actually- is the net sum of everything that we are opposing..

Chess therapy exposes a ‘manifold’ to objectively explore the version of your persona seen outwardly and to then use that as the basis for improvement..(or perhaps think of this as exposing a surface of your personality to work on)..as ways lead on to ways..improving one surface leads us to improvement on other surfaces..cleaning our room leads us to freshening our laundry..dress fresh..look good..play good..but you’ve got to start somewhere..chess therapy..

I’ve needed many forms of chess therapy throughout my journey..which now spans a time capsule beyond the past decade..all those lessons that I needed to learn..ought to be seen through this lens that I am creating..to see the journey towards mastery..to see any journey to mastery..therapy..coaching..it all goes hand in hand..to compartmentalize goals, ambitions, desires..and to blend together skills, ideas, experiences..and to integrate failures, losses, and pain..to create joy, resiliency, and compassion where it oftentimes may otherwise be simply forgotten..

— so it goes in the journey of chess..you must dive in and swim with the sharks..you must search for unknown instincts that may be triggered in moments of tension..you must have courage to make mistakes, acknowledge them, and to try to improve again and again..and to show gratitude..even to those who are only appearing in the moment to be pointing out your shortcomings..they are in the mirror..chess therapy will teach you to be grateful to realize all of that and more!

Chess therapy is available for free. Any chess board will provide a free therapeutic experience. And most opponents will enhance that experience, although some may prove to be a hindrance…it exists..much like a reflection on a calm pond..it simply exists..freely..

Chess therapy usually has a steep cost, however. What the world sees of your journey and how your outward appearance is perceived– how you grow and transform— and your pace of integrating challenges into accomplishments— all of these have costs..but the greatest cost, the unknown, unseen, unexpressed mistakes..failures to launch..all are just..untapped potential..waiting to be improved by you.

So with a change here and improvement there let us make all the rest of those mistakes seem meaningless.. let’s bring Chess Therapy out from the shadows..let’s explore those unexplored dark mistakes..what’s haunting you—bring it to Chess Therapy!

Join Coach Chad for Chess Therapy in The Chess Zone’s Discord—See ya Sunday, 7 pm central — can’t make it? Suggest a better time in an email to CoachChad@coffeefordessert.com // just want free advice—fret not—Chess Therapy highlights are heading to YouTube— like and subscribe— I wish you the best of luck!

-Coach Chad