In our last +1, we talked about Emerson’s commitment to executing his chess training protocol with precision and with integrity.
I told you about how much I admired his fierce commitment to doing what he said he would do.
Then I challenged YOU (and ME!) to not cheat yourself by *failing* to do what YOU say you will do as we reminded ourselves of the fact that we’re cheating ourselves (and our families / communities / world!) when we allow that gap between who we’re capable of being and who we’re actually being to show up more often than it should.
Now…
That’s the perfect segue to a great book I just read.
It’s called Move by Move: Life Lessons On and Off the Chessboard.
It’s by Maurice Ashley.
Maurice Ashley is a Chess Grandmaster, a chess commentator, a national championship coach, and an author.
In 1999, at the age of 33, he became the first African American Chess Grandmaster in the game’s history, and in 2016 he was inducted into the US Chess Hall of Fame.
His book is packed with wisdom and both his story and his book are incredibly inspiring.
In a chapter called “Sacrifice and Risk,” Maurice tells us about his family and their Heroic quests.
Here’s a very quick take…
Maurice’s mom left Jamaica and went to America when he was only two years old to try to create a better life for her family.
The DAY AFTER she got to America, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated—sparking riots across the country and making her think she made a terrible decision.
It took her TEN years to gain U.S. citizenship and finally be able to unite her family.
Think about that for a moment.
A young mother leaves her children to seek out a better life for her family. It takes her TEN years to make that vision a reality.
That is so incredibly humbling (and inspiring) for so many reasons.
It is so easy for me (and all of us!) to take our lives and all the opportunities we have for granted while countless (!!!) others would trade their lives with ours in a moment.
PAUSE.
Appreciate the truth of that for a moment…
Now…
Not only did Maurice become a Chess Grandmaster, his brother was a three-time kickboxing champion and his sister won six world titles in boxing. Each of them has been inducted into their respective fields’ Hall of Fame.
As Maurice says: “Her sacrifice, made with good intentions and a willingness to endure supreme struggle, paid off beyond her wildest imagination.”
That’s Today’s +1.
What sacrifices and risks have the people who have supported YOU on YOUR Heroic quests taken?
Seriously…
If you feel so inspired…
Pause for a moment…
Think about ONE person in your life who has taken risks and made sacrifices to help YOU be who you are Today.
Got it?
Awesome.
If they’re still alive, go thank them.
If they’re no longer with us, beam them some virtual love.
NOW.
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