This is part of a body of work called Never Mind Your Mind.
Today we will explore the chessboard metaphor,
Which offers a powerful perspective on stepping out of the futile battle with our thoughts and learning to observe them with spaciousness.
The Chessboard Metaphor by Stephen C.
Hayes The chessboard metaphor gives us an understanding of what it is like to be the observer of our thoughts,
Particularly as we tend to battle the thoughts that we don't want.
This metaphor helps us recognise the futile nature of doing so.
Imagine a chessboard,
Where on one side are all your positive thoughts,
And on the other side are all your negative ones.
Here you get to go through life trying to battle the negative pieces across,
And in doing so fighting to wipe off all the negative pieces from the board.
But there are two problems.
1.
There are an infinite number of positive and negative pieces ready.
No matter how many negative pieces you wipe off,
More will appear.
2.
The positive pieces actually attract the negative pieces.
So it's just like having a game of chess.
You move forward the positive piece called,
I am a good person.
And it immediately attracts the negative piece.
No you're not.
What about the way you handled that situation yesterday?
You move forward the positive piece called,
I love myself.
And it immediately attracts the negative piece.
No you don't.
What about the way you talk to yourself usually?
So we can go through life wasting a lot of time and energy trying to win this battle that can never be won.
But what if we could be like the chessboard?
The board is in intimate contact with all the chess pieces.
It makes space for all the pieces.
But it's not involved in the battle.
If we can learn how to be more like the chessboard,
To step back and observe our thoughts and feelings,
Allowing them to come and go,
To make space for them,
Without getting caught up in a conflict with them,
That enables us to step out of the battle and give them plenty of space to move around.
Being the chessboard means that we do this.
Then we needn't spend our energy caught up in a battle that we will never win.
So we can invest our energy in things that matter to us.
Dear Mind As I sit in this cafe,
I am writing this letter to you and for me.
When I'm going through a tough time,
It's so easy to get into a battle with you.
You judge,
Compare,
Contrast and evaluate endlessly.
It's just what human minds do.
I know that the brain is like Velcro for negative experiences and Teflon for positive ones,
Which makes it all too easy to be pulled into the negative narratives you offer me.
I also understand that it's not your fault.
You've been shaped by evolution to spot problems,
To keep me safe and to avoid discomfort.
This problem-finding lens served a purpose long ago,
But in today's world it often leaves us feeling overwhelmed and stuck.
When things get tough,
You have a way of turning me against you.
You tell me it's just you.
You insist these thoughts are uniquely mine and that they're not even normal.
But I'm coming to see that this isn't true.
These thoughts are just thoughts,
And they've been shaped from a brain wired for survival,
Not necessarily for happiness.
It's become clearer to me how you draw me into this endless game,
Like a game of chess with infinite pieces.
When I move forward with a positive thought,
You counter with a negative one,
Continuing a battle that's impossible to win that I get sucked into once again.
And during tough times,
You seem to escalate the game,
Throwing in even more unhelpful pieces,
Consuming my energy for a fight that goes nowhere.
And so,
I am making a declaration to myself,
For myself,
I don't have to play.
I choose not to step into this battle,
And when I find myself hooked back into it,
Which I will,
Because I'm only human,
I choose to step back gently when I remember.
I choose to be the chessboard,
Holding space for all the pieces that take battle with themselves,
Without getting caught up in their movements.
This perspective doesn't erase you,
My dear mind,
But it frees me to focus my energy on what truly matters,
Rather than fighting an unwinnable battle.
So,
Thank you for being there,
For doing what you do.
Thank you for giving me this choice,
The choice to be the chessboard,
Instead of caught up battling with the pieces.
I can let the pieces do their thing,
Whilst I embrace what matters most,
And to stay connected with life unfolding in front of me.
Yours sincerely,
With compassion and gratitude,
From me.
My consciousness is evolving every single time I notice an unhelpful thought and hold it lightly.
May my consciousness continue to evolve,
This appreciation helps me and heals me.
I am the chessboard,
I'm calm and I'm wide,
Holding my thoughts without taking a side.
I am the chessboard,
I'm calm and I'm wide,
Holding my thoughts without taking a side.
I am the chessboard,
I'm calm and I'm wide,
Holding my thoughts without taking a side.
