The harmony of a puzzle

Going through life is like making a puzzle.

You have to face the bafflement of having all the pieces muddled up in a pile before you and not knowing where to start.

You need to get organised and comply with a plan to get started. You first dig through the pile, carefully searching for the pieces with a straight edge that will form the frame of it.

As you complete more pieces, you learn to become more focused searching for specific aspects: a side bent awkwardly, a strange shape, a distinct colouring.

You find that once you begin and get drawn into the whole process, you become more concentrated, devoted to your target: one more piece that will fit.

You manage the irritation of having to twist and turn the pieces around, trying and failing endlessly until you find the right one.

But then, you are able to fully appreciate the satisfaction of everything falling into place as you find the pieces that perfectly attach to each other effortlessly.

The way you handle a puzzle may also be seen as a metaphor for life.

It teaches you to be patient, to have a plan and be organised, to be methodical and concentrated, to focus on your goals, to try and fail numerous times without giving up, and to value every success, no matter how small and how long it takes to achieve it.

But most of all, it teaches you that harmony comes with trial and error, that it is the small pieces that will eventually compose the bigger picture, and that sometimes you need to attempt with the wrong ones before the right ones come along that will fit perfectly into place.

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Determined to succeed

It takes a lot to wake up in the morning with a goal in mind. Heck, it sometimes takes great effort simply to get up in the morning, let alone set targets to achieve.

Albert knew it well. He battled his bedcovers every day for at least fifteen minutes, before he garnered the willpower to get out of bed.

The day usually proceeded smoothly after that – well, after a couple of hours, a good breakfast, strong coffee and a very slow easing into the day’s workload. But at the end of the day, he would also return to his bed satisfied with what he had achieved. He was a person who believed that you had to manage to do something that pleases you each day. Be it mastering something outside your comfort zone, perfecting a skill you already have, or simply expanding your horizons. Either way, 24 hours were enough to make you do something that would lift your spirits.

But there were days when even Albert could simply not get out of bed. Those days when he just wanted to be lazy and stay under the covers, hoping everything would disappear and he would continue to live in that hazy world he was dreaming of.

It was exactly those days, however, when his grandfather’s words sprung to mind, like Yoda appearing to instruct a young Jedi: “The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination. You can’t expect to accomplish something without putting some effort into it. The secret to achieving success, is not that because you are destined for it, but because you are determined to. Because in order to make those dreams a reality, you need to replace excuses with effort, swap laziness with determination, and be able to self-discipline yourself. Everything else will fall into place. Having determination is harder than it sounds. It is not enough to say that you’ll do something. The hard thing is to do what needs to be done, even when you don’t feel like doing it. You see, you can always find inspiration from others, but determination, that is solely your responsibility.”

That would usually be enough for Albert to jump out of bed and not let another day go wasted. Even if it would be spent simply sitting on the couch and thinking about nothing and everything, he would be satisfied that at least he did something that calmed him and restored his mental balance. The next day he would be ready to conquer the world. At least the one he had constructed in his mind.

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving” – Albert Einstein

 

Also part of Daily Prompt: Purpose

The unreachable star

Ever since Joe was a child, he knew what he wanted to do and was determined to accomplish it. He spent days and nights looking out of his window gazing over the hill at that star that shone so brightly it was visible even during the day. It seemed so unique, so magnificent, that he was sure there was something extraordinary about it. If he could just get closer to it, he might figure out what it was.

When he became of age, Joe set off to climb the hill. He didn’t know how long it would take, as the hill turned out to be a mountain once he got closer to it. It’s funny how distance is so deceiving, he thought; it makes it all seem smaller and closer than they truly are. Nonetheless, Joe did not lose hope. He wanted to reach the star and made it his ultimate purpose.

As he climbed the mountain, setting his own pace, he came across little animals whom he befriended as much as possible, rare flowers and rural beauties. They were all things he had never seen before and that made them even more special. Days passed and Joe was still climbing. He could see he was quite high now, as the view of the town below became spectacular. The wind was also getting colder as he climbed and he could sense the oxygen levels dropping.

One night, he almost froze, but just before the crack of dawn he woke up staring into two big blue eyes. Her name was Jill. She lived in the mountains and had golden hair, which she had tied into two dreadlocks either side of her small round head. She was mesmerizing, kind and sweet and had saved him from freezing. The blanket she had covered him with was made out of sheepskin and she had also brought warm soup in a natural flask. Her family knew how to survive in the mountains, and so did she.

It wasn’t long after he described his quest that Jill announced she would accompany him. Joe was delighted. After all some company was more than welcome, and he could not have asked for anything better than this.

More days passed and these probably turned into months too. But the mountain top still seemed far away. Jill began to lose hope, something she said she rarely ever did. Joe tried as much as possible to console and revive the feeling of excitement he had seen in her eyes when he first described his mission. But to no avail. Jill became sick and decided she could no longer carry on. She turned away with tears in her eyes as she began her descent back home. Joe was once again left alone.

The star was shining brighter than ever.

It may have been a month, it may have been a year. Joe finally reached the summit. The view from up there was incomparable to anything he had ever seen. He was literally standing on top of the world – at least the one he knew about. It was amazing, and he had managed to reach his destination. He was proud of his accomplishment. Until the time he looked up.

The star was still far away. And it even seemed to be at the top of the adjacent mountain. Joe could still not discern what made it glow so brightly and so exquisitely. Perhaps he should go and climb the other mountain now. He thought about all he had learned and experienced during his ascend. He had witnessed more natural wonders and had learned more about survival and personal quests than most people would manage in a lifetime. Yet now the only way forward was down. So he sighed, and began his descend. Maybe the answers would be found there.

As he slowly climbed back down the mountain, he kept looking back and staring at the star shining behind him. What was the lesson to be gained out of all this? he thought. And then it struck him. No matter how far you climb, some things are always unreachable. It is the journey that will teach you the lesson. Yet it is always disappointing to realize that your initial goal cannot be accomplished. Sometimes, though, all you can do is go and start over, hoping that this time you will find a target closer to your reach.

 

Also part of Daily Prompt: Envelope Pushers