The Courage of the Next Move

Last Saturday evening, my husband and I played checkers.

It sounds simple. Almost insignificant.

But for me, it became unexpectedly meaningful.

I realized I had not played a board game in more than twenty years — and honestly, I had never really learned how to play checkers before. As an educator and school leader, I have often spoken about the importance of play for children: learning how to win, lose, take turns, collaborate, and regulate emotions.

Yet sitting across from my husband, listening to the soft click of each checker moving across the board, I suddenly realized:

Play teaches something much deeper.

It teaches courage.

Every move required a decision — a willingness to move forward without fully knowing the outcome.

At times, I hesitated. What if I made the wrong move? What if I lost a piece? What if my strategy failed?

And then it struck me how much this mirrors life itself.

So often, we wait for certainty before taking action. We want guarantees before making decisions. Yet growth rarely happens in certainty. Growth happens in movement — in being willing to make the next move even when we are unsure.

That evening also reminded me of something I deeply believe:

What we practice, we become.

Play is not separate from growth.

Play is practice for life.

Every move became practice:

practice in courage,

practice in patience,

practice in strategic thinking,

practice in adaptability,

practice in losing,

practice in trying again.

In many ways, this small moment reflected what I describe in my I.N.S.P.I.R.E.D. approach to life and education: who we become is shaped by what we repeatedly practice, nurture, and courageously engage in.

That evening reminded me that inspiration is not something abstract or distant. It is found in everyday moments — in reflection, connection, courage, and even in the simple act of making the next move across a checkerboard.

Later, I found myself thinking about how much research now confirms what many of us intuitively feel: play and mentally stimulating activities are not only valuable for children, but throughout the entire lifespan. Studies suggest that board games and playful cognitive engagement can support memory, emotional well-being, problem-solving, cognitive flexibility, and even healthy aging. Neuroscientists describe play as supporting “brain plasticity” — the brain’s remarkable ability to continue adapting and forming new neural connections throughout life.

For older adults in particular, games can foster connection, conversation, resilience, and cognitive engagement. But honestly, I think adults of all ages need play now more than ever.

Somewhere along the way, many of us stopped playing because life became productive, scheduled, and achievement-oriented. We learned to value efficiency over curiosity.

But maybe play is not the opposite of seriousness.

Maybe play is one of the most meaningful ways we continue learning how to live.

That evening, I did not simply learn how to play checkers.

I learned something about leadership, growth, and being human.

Sometimes courage is nothing more than being willing to make the next move.