Still Taking Shape

I love quotes that bring a smile to my lips and one of those is by Pablo Picasso which says, “Art is chaos taking shape.”  

I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel like the finished article; there is always more anyone can do to grow and be better. We have an option to view ourselves through the ‘glass being half full or half empty’.

In the same way, you can see nothing but the chaos that your life appears to look like or you can see a masterpiece in progress. I know what my choice is going to be. Take a look at the moving pieces of your life and liken them to pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

I feel overwhelmed when I see those ‘thousand pieces’ jigsaw puzzles and often wonder why anyone would put themselves in a situation where they need to complete them. I don’t have the patience or desire to tackle that sort of challenge but I admire those that do because I know it is a thing of beauty.

As I have observed Puzzle lovers, I notice they start from the edges and they focus on one piece at a time. They don’t rush through it and they don’t get frustrated, they take breaks from the puzzle when they need to and they put it in a safe place in between. They have the final picture in their mind’s eyes and refer to the template on the box to guide them.

Whilst I don’t have the patience for the ‘thousand pieces’ puzzles, I know I can still learn from those who accomplish the herculean tasks.

The blessing is that our lives aren’t as complicated as the ‘thousand pieces’ puzzles but we often have moving pieces, that can be put together in any number of ways. Here are some of my takeaways:

Each person is a unique puzzle

None of us are mirror images of another person, not even identical twins. There will always be differentiating traits. Too many times, we try to be someone else that we admire. We try to mirror them but this will only ever result in a great copy even with our best effort.

Being authentically yourself is the only way to showcase the masterpiece that you were created to be. It is also the most effortless way to live your life because you don’t need to practice or rehearse at being you.

You get a whole lifetime to showcase your masterpiece

I love the fact that each day we live and move, we have an opportunity to showcase the masterpiece that we are becoming.

A jigsaw puzzle sits on a side table when in progress but we get to display our work-in-progress and people can appreciate it even as we keep moving forward. How incredible is that? Be patient with your progress, add a new piece each day and keep showcasing your daily effort knowing the best is always yet to come. Each piece adds a new dimension to the beauty that you already are.

Keep the end goal in mind and check in regularly

An expert puzzle builder always has the picture of the end goal to hand and they refer to it constantly for guidance and assurance that they are on the right path.

What about you? Do you have a picture of your end goal to hand? What do you see when you picture yourself? Do you see the intentionality, majesty, magnificence, beauty and awe that went into who you are? Do you marvel at the engineering feat that you are with all your moving parts working in harmony?

Do you check in to see if you are on the right path to becoming all you were designed and created to be?

Take a break when you need to

Puzzle builders understand that building a ‘thousand pieces’ puzzle is like a marathon and not a sprint. They approach it with determination, passion, vigour, joy, hope and love; more importantly, they set it aside at the end of each day trusting to pick it back up and continue.

They are disciplined, diligent, use routines to their advantage but they also know when more important things come up that means they have to re-prioritize. So as you work towards your masterpiece, approach it in a disciplined and intentional way but don’t be afraid to take a break. Consistency is the name of the game.

Be proud of and celebrate your progress

Finally don’t forget “Art is chaos taking shape” so be proud of your messy stages knowing fully well that you will come good if you keep working at your masterpiece.

Thanks for reading my post. Have a fantastic week.