In beginning the comparison between figuring out your life and a puzzle, you need to determine what state your pieces are in. They might be scattered everywhere, with a strong scent of cardboard, as if they just came out of the box. Or the pieces may be connected, in a state of order, with the resemblance of the box top in sight. With so many pieces to life’s puzzle, you must start with organization in mind, to eventually be able to make sense of it all.
No matter how your pieces are currently laid out across life’s table, it is important to know how to start aligning them. Because the most important step to know and take in a journey, is the first one.
1. Start by finding the border pieces and build the framework
Building the framework of a puzzle is a pivotal first step, because once it is finished, you then know that all the puzzle pieces will eventually fit within. In life, we make up our framework of those things which spark a passion within us and bring excitement about living life. With a framework in place we are able to clear up the cloudiness which prevents us from pursuing what we desire, and to bring a new focus into how we are placing our pieces.
2. Separate the similar pieces into groups
The only way to make sense of all the pieces which fit within the puzzles border is to find out all your talents, desires, hopes, dreams, and pursuits with which you want to connect every piece from corner to corner. Start placing these pieces with those similar in likeness. Take a group of pieces that are likely to fit together and find out how they can be connected with each other. As more and more areas of the puzzle grow, then they will start to connect into other areas and pieces that you swore would never fit, start fitting together.
3. Don’t lose the unique pieces because eventually you will know exactly where they were meant to fit
Whenever you do a puzzle, there always seems to be a couple pieces that seem to stick out. Each one of us has unique pieces that fit only within our puzzle and in unique spots. These pieces seem odd and almost like they don’t belong with the other pieces. Each piece seems odd because we compare the state of our pieces to that of others, instead of looking at our puzzle as a one of a kind. Each person is not meant to have the same puzzle as others, and these pieces are what make each puzzle so unique. They should not be thrown to the side and counted as an anomaly, but should be kept close, as these are the pieces which connect those areas you never thought would ever meet.
Sometimes we just don’t know where to start in life, but the biggest mistake is to not start, and to instead move the pieces around with no purpose of finding the place where they were meant to fit. Life can be puzzling but it doesn’t have to stay that way.
Life, keep it simple and live it
Josh