What you are is not the pieces. You are the king.
By W. Cook
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🧠INTRO: The Terrain of the Self
Most people don’t realize they’re playing a game they didn’t choose.
They chase pieces—money, image, influence, approval—believing these things define who they are.
But they’ve forgotten the one truth that matters:
The pieces are not you.
You are the king.
In this internal game of life, the board isn’t outside you—it’s within.
Each piece represents something you’ve used to feel powerful, successful, or safe.
But if you lose the king—the core self—you lose the game.
This is the philosophy of the Inner Chessboard.
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đź‘‘ I. You Are the King
Not the crown.
Not the paycheck.
Not the titles.
Not the image.
You—beneath the roles, the goals, the fear, and the story—are the king.
Everything else is there to make you feel like a king.
But they are not the king.
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♟️ II. The Pieces Are Constructs
Each chess piece represents something in your life:
• Pawns – Habits, routines, day-to-day behavior
• Rooks – Rigid roles, social rules, cultural identity
• Knights – Cleverness, survival instincts, creative detours
• Bishops – Core beliefs, values, sacred systems
• The Queen – Your greatest external asset: career, status, influence, spouse, intellect, image
They hold power.
They shape perception.
They help you move.
But none of them are you.
They’re extensions—not essence.
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🏰 III. The Queen Is the Most Powerful—But She Is Not You
Your queen might be:
• Your social status
• Your bank account
• Your partner
• Your talent
• Your public persona
She makes you feel untouchable.
She moves for you, protects you, wins for you.
But she’s not the king.
Lose her, and you’ll feel naked.
Protect her too much, and you’ll forget who she was serving.
She can make you feel like a king—
but she cannot make you be one.
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⚠️ IV. Do Not Mistake the Kingdom for the Crown
The world trains you to chase pieces.
To protect the kingdom more than the self.
To win games that don’t matter… by sacrificing the only thing that does.
If you lose who you are to keep what you have,
You didn’t win—you just forgot who you were.
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🛡️ V. The True Game Is to Hold the King
The real war isn’t with others.
It’s not about dominance, followers, or achievement.
It’s about remembrance.
Staying rooted in the self beneath the noise.
Protecting the king means:
• Keeping your integrity when it’s inconvenient
• Holding your values when they’re unpopular
• Letting pieces go without losing the board
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🧠CONCLUSION
The pieces are what you have.
The king is who you are.
Protect him at all costs.
Let them watch the game.
Let them count your pieces.
But never let them touch the king.
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