Why jigsaw puzzles are the perfect metaphor for life
Today I completed a jigsaw puzzle of the Great Wall of China. I was all consumed by it, as I usually am when I am doing a jigsaw.
I’ve been a mega jigsaw fan since I can remember. My grandad had a special room full of boxes of jigsaws. He must have had hundreds. I always used to do one with him when we visited as children, and still do when I visit now. He gave me the Great Wall of China one when I visited last.
Today when I was doing the jigsaw, I did it without music or the TV on, just with my own thoughts. While I was doing the jigsaw I started thinking about how a jigsaw is very much a metaphor for real life. I thought I’d share the things I came up with…
When you’re doing a good jigsaw, it’s all consuming. You can easily forget to come up for air, get too caught in the details. But you do need to look at the bigger picture every now and again. In life, taking a step back to slow down, to be still and reflect on what is happening in your world is greatly beneficial.
If you lay out all the jigsaw pieces in categories according to shape, colour and texture it helps you to do the puzzle more efficiently. In life, if you take time to observe all the opportunities, you can see your journey more clearly. Just like the saying failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
Sometimes, you need to gather similar jigsaw pieces to see where they fit in the bigger picture. In life, some things might not become clear until you’ve collected different bits of education.
Some jigsaw pieces don’t obviously look like they fit, but then when you look at them from a different angle and take your time to observe the piece, you realise they do go fit in that place after all. In life, people are full of interesting stories, the more you learn, the more you can understand them and their actions.
The more jigsaw pieces, the harder it is, but the reward is greater at the end. In life, if you’re doing many things, but fit them together well, you’ll be rewarded.
Once you’ve done it once, it’s easier to do again. Even if you drop part of the jigsaw, and it breaks easily, at least you know those pieces fit together. In life, practicing helps you learn a skill, and once you’ve done something once, it’s generally easier the next time.
I wonder if I have subconsciously absorbed any of these lessons over the years I have been completing jigsaws. Nevertheless, I am glad I’ve noticed them now. It makes me love jigsaws even more. If you’ve got anymore to add please let me know!
