Assembling the Pieces
Sorting the pieces
Some day’s life really does resemble a box of moving parts. When the lid is removed, the pieces look like they should come together to create the finished-product of your dreams, if only you had more time. But if you’re like most people, it’s a struggle to find enough hours in the day to study the instruction manual, let alone sort the pieces.
I love spending time with my sister. Last time we were together she happened to be working on a 500-piece puzzle. She set up a card table in the living room, emptied out the box, and sorted the pieces into nice neat piles according to colour and texture of the picture on the box. By the time I pulled a chair up to the table, she had the perimeter done, and was working on the interior. Each newly placed piece felt like a small victory, and as the evening went on, it was clear we were on a quest for complete and utter triumph. A few hours later, we high-fived and called it a night, satisfied and proud of our puzzle making skills.
I love looking for lessons and meaning in the activities I do, and certainly there’s one here for me. I think it’s this: I need to believe my many small efforts will yield the results I’m hoping for. I like to be organized. I need confidence and steadfastness. Sometimes it just seems like I’m spinning my wheels – or that I’m just moving pieces around. My hope is that at the end of the day I’ll be that much closer to realizing my dreams.
Tags: creativity, life purpose, sisters
This entry was posted on Sunday, September 6th, 2009 at 12:39 pm and is filed under Activities, Creativity and Inspiration, Purposeful Living. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
September 6th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
I like the metaphor. Keeping my eye on the vision of the finished puzzle is what got me through anesthesia school. What gave me joy and pleasure along the way, though, was appreciating and being delighted by each individual puzzle piece and placing as much value on those as I did on the finished product. Today can be as awesome as any tomorrow, and the beautiful thing is that we don’t have to wait for it.
September 6th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Well said Kathleen. Your optimism is a gift and I really love hearing it! You’re awesome!
September 7th, 2009 at 8:35 am
I agree, stick-to-itiveness is the key to most great accomplishments and celebrating your progress is a great motivator. Another key ingredient is having someone special to work with, laugh with and/or cheer you on.
September 7th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Yes Sue – supportive encouragement is essential, but having someone to laugh with along the way? Priceless.