Anyone who plays the game of chess will appreciate Cahree’s story. And anyone who doesn’t play chess, but understands the rewards of hard work will appreciate Cahree’s story. The story hard work and determination triumph, even in the most intellectual of pursuits such as chess, is inspiring and foundational to human accomplishment. In describing his final game in the National Championship, beating 249 players from 28 states, and winning with an unbelievable 7-0 victory, Cahree said about his final game in the championship round:
“It was my toughest game yet,” he said. “The key to winning is not giving up. Keep thinking and pushing until you get there. And that’s what I did.”
This message that great rewards come from hard work, determination, and “persistence” is exemplified by Cahree Myrick. Sharing stories like Cahrees can help others understand how struggle can and does yield to success. Ask yourself, how long would you work at something without success before you gave up? What would cause you to give up? Accurate thinking to know when a battle is futile, or when a goal is not attainable, is a critical thinking exercise we all need to hone. However the era of immediate gratification needs to yield to an era of effort – with a focus on results – based upon worthy goals. What we think of as failure needs to be redefined. Failure, as any Navy Seal will tell you, occurs only when you decide. Until then, it’s called temporary defeat.