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
At times I find myself tackling BIG problems… in fact, I love big problems…and perhaps it is the curse of vision…that as a leader we can see the end state, but we also see the work it will take to get there….the work of putting all the piece in place to ensure the vision is realized…a plan, a strategy.
You open the door… turn on the light and begin to walk down the stairs…. and you see all the of the 1000s of pieces of the puzzle spread all over the basement floor… and you know…you can put them all together.
We all have our puzzle building strategy… some will begin looking for all the edges…indeed a great idea, we will build the framework.
Others will look for the big objects… I will build the Statue of Liberty’s head first and then fill in the harbor scene from there.
But… perhaps we focus too much on getting the puzzle completed in a specific amount of time… instead of enjoying the effort of putting it together, crafting, and creating.
Personally I want the puzzle together… then I can put some puzzle glue on it… get a frame on it… hang it on the wall and move on to the next puzzle/problem.
But let’s not discount the hours spent in the basement… thinking… pondering… learning…trying to force pieces together when we all know they really don’t fit… but MAN… I’m frustrated… it’s only cardboard, just mash them together… they will fit! I know they will.
Okay, go back upstairs, grab a cup of coffee…relax, the puzzle will be there tomorrow…just don’t give up. Remember…just…don’t give up. Putting the puzzle together… is your life’s work–and there is no exit strategy from your life’s work.
A good puzzle, it’s a fair thing. Nobody is lying. It’s very clear, and the problem depends just on you. –Erno Rubik
Who in the world am I? Ah, that’s the great puzzle.
– Lewis Carroll
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