A Piece Of The Puzzle (K.Blais)

I lay awake last night thinking about the many things that were on my mind. Lately, there just seems to be a greater number than usual of issues that I feel strongly about, but, other than expressing my opinion, I don’t have a lot of control over. As someone who usually feels in control of my environments (work, home), I find it difficult at times to realize that there are some things in which I have a piece of ownership, but not the upper hand.

I have a necklace which has a charm on it that is shaped like a circular puzzle piece. I’ve always liked this charm because it has reminded me on many occasions that I am just a small piece of the bigger puzzle of my life. I also like that it’s circular because it fits around other pieces, instead of just pushing up beside them. The charm also reminds me that I am not the only person in my world. There are others who fit together with my piece to play important parts in my life.

(photo credit by ME)

There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill, and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle. (Deepak Chopra)

We all have a place to fit in this world. We are all a piece of a bigger puzzle. Sometimes that’s hard to remember this though, especially when things don’t seem to be going our way. We may find ourselves struggling to accept the things that we cannot control. There is a certain serenity which we must adopt in order to accept the things which we cannot change. This is harder to do, at times, than others. There is also some acceptance needed of the fact that things happen for reasons often beyond our control. There is also some relinquishing of control, letting go of the things that hurt us, and to trust that everything will find its place in the end.

Life is a puzzle and we are the pieces. (Anonymous)

We may never understand life with all of its twists and turns and ups and downs. Some days we may feel like we are on a roller coaster with no end in sight, unwilling riders to an unknown destination. We may not feel like we “fit” anywhere. There are some days where we may even feel like we are “out of alignment” with everyone else. We do have an important space carved out for us though. We were all created for a reason and a purpose. We just may have to be patient and take some time to figure out what that is.

Who in the world am I? Ah, that’s a great puzzle. (Lewis Carroll)

Perhaps we may even struggle with understanding ourselves. Some days I wonder, in addition to trying to figure everyone else out, if I am just as much of a puzzle and mystery to those around me as they are to me. I think we have all been in a position where we don’t understand ourselves sometimes. Why do we do the things we do, say the things we say, or feel the way we do? And why is it that we cannot explain these things when others ask?

This ultimately leads into the question – do we always need to explain our thoughts, feelings, and actions? Is it enough to just simply say “it is what it is” and “I am who I am”?

I know personally that there are many days where I don’t have a reason as to why I am grouchy, happy, melancholy, or sad. Some days I am envious of what others have and it eats away at me in the form of a yucky feeling in the pit of my stomach and some days I am able to be let those jealous feelings go and to be genuinely happy for the achievements of others. There are moments which I am proud of how I have acted and reacted, and moments which, when I recall them, I shudder to think about. Everything happens for a reason though, and sometimes things happen simply so that we can learn from them.

You are a piece of the puzzle of someone else’s life. You may never know where you fit but others will fill the holes in their lives with pieces of you. (Bonnie Arbon)

We are all important in the lives of others, whether we realize it or not. We all fit somewhere, somehow, sometimes even in different ways. We may not be meant to “figure each other out”. We may be indeed be puzzle pieces that alone are simply a small snapshot, but when placed all together portray a bigger picture.

Life is like a puzzle. In bits and pieces, (the experiences we have, the people in our lives, and our views of ourselves) it may not make a lot of sense, but in the end it all comes together.