The Missing Pieces
I LOVE puzzles, and in the past 2 years I’ve moved my preCovid habit of jigsaw puzzling during holidays into a more regular – ok pretty much daily – practice. The dining room table wasn’t being used for anything else, so it became home to the series of “brain teasing put the pictures together” activities that made me feel some semblance of accomplishment and control over a world that had shifted so far so quickly.
A world where my footing was unsure, my confidence faltered, and my vision was, at best, very blurry. During my hours with puzzles I have the ability to see progress, and know I am productively moving forward with the celebration of the finished border or a completed section. There’s the huge satisfaction of clicking into place the illusive “one that has a square shoulder with a touch of green on it, but is mostly dark purple” piece. You know the one. When I can’t find “this piece that goes right here” I used to go into the story that a disgruntled employee MUST have removed that piece before packing the puzzle. And then I went back to searching because I KNOW it has to be there and like a dog with a bone I couldn’t seem to let it go until I found it and put it in its place. That was before last week. My most recent puzzle experience sparked a new thought pattern, a change of habit, and a HUGE discovery about myself and how I have been in the world.
Last week’s puzzle came from my daughter whose 4 kids, 2 dogs and a cat sometimes equals lost puzzle pieces. She disclosed from the start that 2 pieces were AWOL – but she couldn’t remember exactly where the missing pieces belonged in the big picture.
As I brought the puzzle into focus, and looked for a “specific” piece that was not presenting itself, I decided THAT must be one of the 2 missing ones! I’d like to say I moved on immediately, but no… there was another step – I texted a picture to my daughter saying “AHA! I found where the missing piece goes.” Twice she came back with “Nope – for sure not there.” And I learned. In that very moment the lifelong habit of fixating on the missing puzzle piece dissolved. A new habit emerged – after a brief scan for the piece I was searching for, I decided since THAT must be one of the missing ones I immediately shifted my focus to another part of the puzzle.
WOW! A LOT less frustration, I moved forward with greater efficiency, more fun, and it seemed like the puzzle almost “did” itself. Pieces clicked into place with ease, and the picture became clearer and clearer. Just like life.
Have you been struggling to find the missing pieces? The pieces that were in your life 2 years ago and are now AWOL? Let’s take a step back together and look at the bigger picture…
I forgive myself for believing I have to keep searching for the missing pieces in my life.
I give myself permission to step back and take a look at the big picture.
I can be frustrated trying to find the missing pieces, or I can appreciate the big picture – I choose to focus on the bigger picture of my life.
I am free to focus on what I can do from where I am with what I’ve got today when I…
I know I have a home, food, friends. I am safe and I am moving forward.
I focus on the big picture knowing the missing pieces will either appear, or won’t matter in the bigger scheme of things.
I am grateful for my ability to let go of the missing pieces and focus on what I can do from where I am at with what I do have.
What pieces of your life have you been obsessing about loosing? Life is just like the puzzle – acknowledge what might be currently missing and move forward knowing that all the pieces you do have are creating the picture of your current and future life. Bringing together the pieces you do have, from where you are right now will bring the picture into clearer focus – and I’m here to help you gain a perspective that supports you in creating your life with greater ease and joy!
Suze
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