I wasn't sure what picture would convey my message best. This Chess game isn't exactly right. But Chess can be a complicated game and so is Life sometimes! Brother Ray Brooksby gave a great talk at our Los Gatos Ward Conference about a month ago and I've been thinking about the application.
Brother Brooksby used a golf analogy (keep those men listening!) and described a golf swing that leaves the ball way off course in a mess of tall grass. And then he pointed out: "The Important Thing Is What You Do Next!"
We all end up in places (be it emotional or physical) that we didn't intend! Maybe it's just a rut or a slump or maybe worse!
At any given point, it is sort of irrelevant to focus on the past. The important thing really does become our next move! Life, like chess, is impossible to retract. As much as we'd like to rewind some parts or fast forward through others, it isn't one of the options!
Ray Brooksby is a great speaker and I'm not doing justice to his talk because I didn't take notes and my memory isn't up to snuff! But, honestly, the most important soundbite from the talk really was the comment: "The Important Thing Is What You Do Next!" If I can concentrate on that kind of forward thinking versus berating myself for things in my 20/20 hindsight, I will be making positive progress! Onward!
