Seven Life Lessons From Puzzles
Life is puzzling, isn’t it? We are all trying to put together these different pieces in hopes of creating something beautiful in the end. All of our puzzles are the same, yet different. I absolutely love putting together puzzles and find them to be a useful tool in my self-care kit to help calm my mind down. When I started putting together my last puzzle, I could not help but think of the lessons we could learn about life from a jigsaw puzzle. As I kept putting the pieces together, more reflections came to my mind. Keep reading to learn about the seven main life lessons from puzzles you can start using in your life today!
1 | One Piece At A Time
Puzzles have a lot of different components- just like our lives. It is hard to focus on everything at once- relationships, personal development, work, school, and self-care just to name a few! It is important to remember we can do anything, but not everything. If we are worried about getting everything done right now the truth is we will end up getting a lot less done- and be a lot more stressed along the way! Our minds are distracted and not able to give each section the attention it deserves. Take life, and puzzles, just one piece at a time!
2 | Borders First
Most people start solving a puzzle the same way- with the border. When creating a puzzle, you have to clear an area big enough for you to put it together and figure out where every piece fits. The border defines a sacred space of where you are getting ready to build this masterpiece. A puzzle’s border reminds me a lot of the boundaries we place in our own lives. It is important to have boundaries so we are staying focused on what is important to ourselves and our lives while upholding our rights. Our boundaries help ensure we do not take on the role of a people pleaser and allow things to interfere with our own puzzle of life. Boundaries help us stay focused on what is necessary to help us grow in a positive way.
3 | Trying Something Different To Make The Puzzle Work
Sometimes there is a part of the puzzle that seems impossible to figure out. Finally, we just start to move the pieces around in different ways that seem a bit crazy until something works. This is actually similar to figuring out life too- we must go outside of our comfort zones and try something new! The next thing you learn could be your passion, your hidden talent, or the calling you never knew you had. Do not be afraid of the pieces not fitting, just keep experimenting and learning! We never know what might fit together. Trying something new could help you make the pieces fall together.
4 | Know What You Are Making
Could you imagine getting a box of puzzle pieces without an idea of what the completed puzzle will look like? Life can sometimes feel this way if we are not sure what life we want to build ourselves or where to even start the process. Luckily, we have the power to design what our life will look like. I have a vision board above my desk that acts as a picture for my completed life puzzle with goals, aspirations, and travel destinations just to name a few items! When we know what we are building, it is far easier to plan and start putting the pieces together.
Get your free vision board planning sheet here!
5 | Use The Help You Have
Life can be overwhelming at times and hard to navigate. What would happen if you decided to not use the picture on the box to help you with the puzzle? When we decide to not use the help available to us in life, this is essentially what we are doing. It can be hard to create our own vision for our lives, but it is important to remember that we do have help. Take some time to reflect on yourself using a journal, meditation, or a good book. Therapy is also a wonderful resource because the essence of therapy is to help you become the person you want to be. Our support systems can help us too, as long as we are able to let them know we need them. Just as the picture of the puzzle helps us to create the picture ourselves, our lives are filled with resources to help us see and create our very own puzzle!
6 | Every Piece Counts
With a puzzle, it is easy to not give yourself credit for your work until it is all put together. However, it is important to recognize the hard work we are doing every step of the way! Every puzzle piece fitting together is a step in the right direction and the puzzle could not be complete without it! We should celebrate our progress in puzzles just as we should celebrate the progress and victories in our everyday lives. We are having little victories every single day that are unfortunately overlooked. Staying hydrated is a little victory with huge rewards just as reading a chapter of your new book is a little victory too! Celebrating yourself and little victories are key to a positive life- and enjoying putting the puzzle together a little more!
7 | Have Fun
There are two basic ways to go about solving a puzzle: enjoying the journey or rushing to complete the masterpiece, stressing yourself out along the way. I feel something similar can be said about life and how key our attitude is. It is important to have your childhood excitement and to keep life fun! In the book Healing The Child Within: Discovery and Recovery for Adult Children of Dysfunctional Families
Life Puzzles
Even though everyone’s life is a different puzzle, we can all learn these lessons while trying to put ours together. We are not alone in this journey and can help others with their puzzles’ as well! Being kind, spreading the encouragement, and offering a listening ear can help more than we think. Remember that it is okay to take a break and take care of yourself. You can keep putting the pieces together and create the beautiful life you deserve!
What are your thoughts on puzzles and the lessons they can teach us? Please comment below and tell me what you think of my lessons from puzzles and any of yours to add! If you know someone who could benefit from this article, please show you care and share the bear! Be sure to sign up for my emails and follow on social media to get the most of the positive world of Brightside Bear!
