Adapting to Life's Challenges

Attention. My grandfather taught me something at eight years old that changed everything.

I begged him to train me for the chess tournament. Instead of showing me moves,

he said this. Every game you will lose pieces. Every single one. The master does

not panic when the knight falls or the rook disappears. He adapts. He finds new paths

with what remains. Life will take things from you. Friends will leave. Plans will fail.

Dreams will shatter. But champions play the board in front of them, not the one they

wish they had. I lost that tournament. Lost my queen in the first ten moves. But I kept playing.

Found checkmate with three pawns and a bishop. Twenty years later, I use that lesson