In a long history of chess grandmasters, few possessed the awe-inspiring, attacking style of Mikhail Tal. Known as the “Magician from Riga,” he defied convention.
Most played conservatively, by the book, but that was not Tal’s way.
He was a contrarian.
While most players went in one direction, he took a different path.
He was aggressive. He sacrificed pieces. And he took outlandish risks.
Why? That was his nature.
He was a swashbuckler and a chainsmoker. He was complicated.
But above all, he was an artist.
When offering advice on how best to play, he said:
“You must take your opponent into a deep, dark forest where 2+2 = 5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.”
-Mikhail Tal [emphasis added]
Every day, we step into a deep, dark forest.
We walk through a door or hop on a bus. We enter the workplace or strike up a conversation. We pick up a book or flip on the TV.
We are in a perpetual state of stepping into incalculable situations. We experience moments in time that are unique.
And because they will not be repeated, we arrive at the unknown.
Life is the dark forest where 2+2 = 5. It’s always mysterious. It always surprises.
In the forest, challenges await. Nothing makes sense. You feel ill-equipped.
As you go deeper, you’re presented with a choice:
Will you be the person you were yesterday?
Or will you embrace “tomorrow you,” the person you are becoming?
And the path out is only wide enough for one.
You get to decide who makes it through the forest.
Will it be “yesterday you”? The one who is the product of all the previous yesterdays. The one who resisted change and remains mired in the past.
Or will it be “tomorrow you”? The one who aspires to something more, something better. The one who accepts life’s challenges and continues to adapt. The one who sees yesterday’s limiting beliefs and says, “not today.” Not today. Not ever again.
We all enter the deep, dark forest.
Who comes out will be up to you.
Thought-provoking—loved it. I see the possibility of the “both of you” walking through the forest. Perhaps the “past you” stops or slows down while the “future you” challenge and adventure himself through the uncomfortable feeling of the unknown. Perhaps they both walk together holding hands, helping each other, acknowledging that the duality is only an illusion.