Feeling distressed? Learn to live in the now with this advice that comes from chess

And although my initial intention was to improve my game, I took away something much more valuable: advice that resonated in my daily life like the echo of an empty cathedral.

Beyond the Game

I remember a game where, with the arrogance of someone playing with the white pieces, I deployed a strategy that, in my mind, was brilliant.

However, an erroneous move and Grandmaster Felgaer, with the patience of a saint, showed me how I had opened the door to a devastating counterattack.

“That is not your best move,” he told me in a tone that mixed enigma and wisdom. Have you ever found yourself thinking you have everything under control only to suddenly realize that everything is teetering?

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Play Without Past or Future

Felgaer taught me something that changed my perspective: in chess, as in life, you must act without dragging the past or fearing the future. "The best move is to undo the previous one," he stated with a smile that would disarm anyone.

How many times do we cling to past decisions just out of pride, even though a correction would be the best?

In life, I made mistakes, like everyone else. A painful separation and work dilemmas made me feel trapped in a loop. Should I return to my family or move on? Should I leave a secure job for an exciting project without guarantees? Questions that paralyzed me. And here Felgaer's lesson shone: it's not about guarantees, but about doing the best you can right now, with what you have. What if we stop demanding from life what it cannot offer?

This philosophy does not mean jumping into the void without a parachute, but rather evaluating clearly, without the emotional burden of the past or the conjectures of the future. Sometimes, the best decision is to step back one move to advance two. Chess, like life, is an art of calculated decisions, not impulses.

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Personal Reflection

So, dear reader, I pose a question to you: What burdens from the past are crushing you? And what future do you fear so much that it prevents you from enjoying the present, which is the only thing you have?

Life is like a chessboard; every move counts, but it is the present that defines our master move. Perhaps it is time to heed the wise advice of a chess master and live in the now, without fears or regrets. Let’s play!