The Puzzle (Part 1)
7/29/01
Anyone who has ever worked a jigsaw puzzle knows it is always easier to complete the puzzle when you have the final picture to refer to. With a reference point or the ability to see the whole picture, even loose pieces can be placed in the general vicinity of their final resting places.
In the beginning, our task may seem to be insurmountable. We are taught constraint for years. Stay in the yard, color within the lines, and think inside the box. Later in life, we learn that moving outside our own yards is exploration. Coloring outside the lines and thinking outside the box are creative and artistic. The learning curve is much greater in later years when the task of un-learning becomes necessary. Some never unlearn the rules of containment. Even our jigsaw puzzles reinforce the rules of containment.
We generally break puzzles into more manageable sections. The most popular sections, and easiest to complete, are the outer edges and the blue sky. Even in life, the easier tasks are completed first. Think of the outer edges of the jigsaw as the basic necessities in your life. They sky might represent health since most people do try to take care of themselves. Foliage might represent your career and is somewhat harder to complete. The murky waters or distant mountains may represent debt. Often water and mountain pieces are almost indistinguishable and, therefore, more difficult or the last to be done.
The completion of individual sections of the puzzle provide a sense of accomplishment and spur us on to other sections. All the while, the pieces must not only fit, but the picture must make sense. If we turned our puzzle over and attempted to work it, we would probably make a number of false starts and multiple incorrect connections. We don’t see the whole picture or the finished product. This only demonstrates the importance of visualization.
The completion of the outer edges of the puzzle provide us with a safe environment or frame in which to work. It also gives us a sense of the larger picture. Once again, we have containment and a box in which to think.
Upon completion of the jigsaw puzzle. We are often hesitant to destroy our work so that someday, someone can repeat the entire process and re-create the puzzle again. Unfortunately, jigsaw puzzles do not come with a tube of Elmer’s glue. If not handled properly, the puzzle, and life, may fall apart. The process of completing the puzzle becomes personal to us.
Taking our problems, or our recovery, in manageable bits allows us a greater measure of success. We are told not to bite off more than we can chew, take it one step at a time, and that tomorrow is another day. These adages confirm our process of working puzzles in sections and should apply to so many more processes. Working on one section does not preclude working on another section as well. We, as humans, are not as focused as that. And we, like computers, perfected the art of multi-tasking long before Microsoft Windows made it popular.
Anyone who has ever worked a jigsaw puzzle knows it is always easier to complete the puzzle when you have the final picture to refer to. With a reference point or the ability to see the whole picture, even loose pieces can be placed in the general vicinity of their final resting places.
In the beginning, our task may seem to be insurmountable. We are taught constraint for years. Stay in the yard, color within the lines, and think inside the box. Later in life, we learn that moving outside our own yards is exploration. Coloring outside the lines and thinking outside the box are creative and artistic. The learning curve is much greater in later years when the task of un-learning becomes necessary. Some never unlearn the rules of containment. Even our jigsaw puzzles reinforce the rules of containment.
We generally break puzzles into more manageable sections. The most popular sections, and easiest to complete, are the outer edges and the blue sky. Even in life, the easier tasks are completed first. Think of the outer edges of the jigsaw as the basic necessities in your life. They sky might represent health since most people do try to take care of themselves. Foliage might represent your career and is somewhat harder to complete. The murky waters or distant mountains may represent debt. Often water and mountain pieces are almost indistinguishable and, therefore, more difficult or the last to be done.
The completion of individual sections of the puzzle provide a sense of accomplishment and spur us on to other sections. All the while, the pieces must not only fit, but the picture must make sense. If we turned our puzzle over and attempted to work it, we would probably make a number of false starts and multiple incorrect connections. We don’t see the whole picture or the finished product. This only demonstrates the importance of visualization.
The completion of the outer edges of the puzzle provide us with a safe environment or frame in which to work. It also gives us a sense of the larger picture. Once again, we have containment and a box in which to think.
Upon completion of the jigsaw puzzle. We are often hesitant to destroy our work so that someday, someone can repeat the entire process and re-create the puzzle again. Unfortunately, jigsaw puzzles do not come with a tube of Elmer’s glue. If not handled properly, the puzzle, and life, may fall apart. The process of completing the puzzle becomes personal to us.
Taking our problems, or our recovery, in manageable bits allows us a greater measure of success. We are told not to bite off more than we can chew, take it one step at a time, and that tomorrow is another day. These adages confirm our process of working puzzles in sections and should apply to so many more processes. Working on one section does not preclude working on another section as well. We, as humans, are not as focused as that. And we, like computers, perfected the art of multi-tasking long before Microsoft Windows made it popular.
posted by Vickie at 11:29 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home