When It Feels Like There’s Nothing Left

Living with MOGAD can sometimes feel like playing a never-ending game against an invisible opponent. The flares, the fatigue, the uncertainty — they all corner you in ways words can hardly capture. But even in those moments when everything seems lost, perhaps there’s still a hidden move waiting to be made.

Inspired by the painting known as “Checkmate with the Devil”, and the story behind it, this reflection is a gentle reminder:

Hope may begin where surrender ends.When it feels like there’s nothing left…

“Make the move, young man. Even when you think it’s all over, even when it seems like there’s no way out… perhaps the king still has one more move left. And that move might change everything.”

Sometimes life corners you so sharply that it feels like you’ve run out of moves. You feel as if there are no options left. People around you say, “It’s over.” Even your inner voice whispers, “Give up.”

But that very moment might be the most critical one.

Because often, the game doesn’t end there.

There’s just one last move you haven’t seen yet.

There’s a famous painting in history, often referred to as “The Devil’s Checkmate.”

Most people interpret the scene as a moment of total defeat.

But in the 1800s, American chess prodigy Paul Morphy looked at that same painting and saw what others had missed.

He said:

“The king has one more move.”

That single move changes the course of the game.

Just like life.

Right now, you may be feeling helpless.

Alone, exhausted, or stuck.

But this is not the end.

You may be standing right at the edge of a new beginning.

Maybe when you’ve hit rock bottom, the quiet strength within you is just about to awaken.

Because you—and the king—still have one more move.

This is not a painting of defeat.

Don’t give up.

Look again.

Make a new move.

Because hope sometimes is simply the ability to see things with different eyes.

And perhaps the greatest victories begin at the very moment when everyone else thinks the game is lost.