I've never played the game of "Chess" and, honestly, I've never had a desire to do so. I have, however, played "checkers" many times (yes, I do know that they are not anywhere near the same) and have never gotten very good at that game.
I do know this about checkers: those that win and win often know how to think several moves ahead and, from what I understand about the game of chess, the same is true there as well.
I also know this about checkers: What you do NEXT is vitally important!
Friend, this is true in so many areas of our life whether it be games, relationships, education or work related. But it is especially true IF you've experienced a MAJOR setback.
My goodness, as I typed that last sentence it occurred to me that ANY major setback in ANY area of life sets up the importance of your next move.
Wise choices in the midst of adversity. That's much easier said than done.
Even though it is true that planning ahead for such situations and plotting out what your next move might be IF such a thing were to happen is a wise thing to do, it still does not mean that you will actually follow through with your preplanned thoughts, and here's why: No matter how much you plan, you simply can NOT plan it out as if it were actually happening.
What does that mean?
You cannot make plans like this and include the EMOTIONS that will go along with that event if and when it happens.
Many times the best laid plans get sidetracked by our emotions. You see, when we make plans we are thinking RATIONALLY but when we include emotions and if those emotions take "center stage" then we begin to think IRRATIONALLY.
So, in ANY area, what you do next is of utmost importance.
Mistakes happen BUT that does not mean that your next move need be another mistake!
Final bit of advice: In ANY area of major setback, we must allow ourselves the chance to step back for a moment, catch our breath and think. Friend, that may not happen within the next hour or even day.
This is when it comes in handy for you to have planned out ahead of time. Because NOW when you are thinking irrationally due to your overwhelming emotions, you can sit down and read things through that were planned when you had a clearer head. What you wrote down before may not seem possible to you while you are still high on emotion but give it a little time and allow the "pre-planned rational mind" to have time to take root.
Then boldly move on knowing that you are not acting in haste or by emotion.
It's a big step. It's a necessary step and it's a step that you CAN make boldly if you've taken the time to plan.
Do it and, as you do so, be sure to ...
"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"
Mike
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