Synopsis: What can a game of chess teach us about life, legacy, and perspective? In this blog, we explore how the lessons of chess parallel our own journey—and how ketamine therapy can help shift our focus from status and success to what truly matters.
This blog is adapted from the transcript of our What Chess Taught Me About Life, Legacy, and Ketamine Therapy video.
Why Is Chess More Than Just a Game?
If you follow our Youtube channel or read our blog, you know I enjoy reading, meditating, and working out. But a pastime I enjoy in particular that I haven’t shared is my love of chess. It is one of my favorite ways to spend a free moment! It’s something I enjoyed as a kid, but recently, I’ve returned to it with more focus and seriousness—I’ve even started taking an online course to deepen my learning.
Chess is a form of relaxation for me, and while I was playing, my unconscious mind made a connection involving chess, life, and of course ketamine therapy.
Chess Reveals the Temporary Nature of Status
If you’re familiar with chess—or even if you’re not—the game consists of several distinct pieces: the king, queen, pawn, bishop, knight, and rook.
Each piece has unique strengths and weaknesses, and some can be more desirable than others. Certain pieces are more powerful and effective in winning the game.
Here’s what struck me while I was playing with a friend: no matter how powerful a piece is during play, at the end of the game, all the pieces go back into the same box. Their status, rank, and influence no longer matter; they’re simply mixed together, equal once again.
Life can feel like a game of chasing status and success. But in the end, does it really matter? Ketamine therapy helps many see beyond these worries to what truly does.
Ketamine Therapy Helps Us See Beyond the Small Details of Life
Life can feel like a game: a game obsessed with status and success. We stress about money and how we can make more. We strategize ways to gain and hold on to power. Alternatively, we burn ourselves out as we climb the social or professional ladder. We can’t help but try to “keep up with the Joneses” as we compare ourselves to those around us.
But here’s the reality: life is finite. It doesn't matter if you’re the king or the pawn. We all go to the same place in the end.
So how does this relate to ketamine therapy? Well, with this treatment, many patients experience a shift in perspective. Some have such a profound experience that they were able to see beyond the worries of money and status and now see the bigger picture of life.
What Insights Can Ketamine Therapy Reveal?
One thing I have repeatedly witnessed is that for patients who are ready, ketamine infusions can expand consciousness or facilitate the gaining of new insights. Many patients share feelings as if they are observing life from a higher vantage point, free from their usual thought loops and daily anxieties.
When someone reaches this state, they often realize they are no different than the chess pieces being placed back in the box. This awareness leads to deeper questions:
What truly matters?
What are my priorities?
Knowing my days are limited, how do I want to spend my time?
In the grand scheme of things, wealth and achievements are nothing. What truly matters is the impact we make on others and the way we choose to live our lives.
At the end of it all, no one will remember your bank balance—they’ll remember how you made them feel. True legacy isn’t built on wealth but on kindness and impact.
Legacy Is Defined by Impact, Not Possessions
While I am not here to debate what life is or what happens at the end of it, I have realized it doesn’t matter how many toys we collect or how much money we make.
What will matter is:
How we treated others.
The kindness and love we shared.
The legacy we leave behind.
When people gather at your funeral, they won’t be talking about how much money you had. They won’t be chatting about your job title. Rather, they’ll be reflecting on the person you were and how you impacted their lives.
I hope this perspective shift inspires you to focus on what truly matters, and embrace life fully.
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Discover how chess reveals powerful life lessons about status, purpose, and impermanence—and how ketamine therapy helps shift perspective to what truly matters.
