I was shopping around in toyshop to buy some puzzle block games for my nearly 2 years old son. I ended up buying one for myself too in the end. I was very excited buying them because I remembered having those more than a decade ago when computer games or electronic games weren't as popular as they are these days.
I chose to pick Puzzle game with cardboard pieces having irregular shapes, sizes and colours which when integrated completes into a picture of world map. I organised myself to start putting those puzzle together on board.
I had two options; play to win meaning I could take as long as I like to win in the end. Potentially having all those pieces in place correctly. This method could help me to make decisions without rushing too much. Which means I could breath slowly without getting too judgemental.
The other alternative to play to win was count down time, where I could time myself to finish my game in certain sensible time frame. Meaning I had to be quick to finish my game and put all those disintegrated pieces in place before I ran out of time. Which also means I had to take quick decisions, breathe fast, may be hastily leading to dislocation and incomplete work.
I was aware that I was at beginners level without mastering my skills I would find very difficult to time myself. So thought of opting for first option, that is win to play and then thought of playing with count down timer the next time. I felt doing so would be fair as I could possibly put them together with my past experience. Deep inside I was nervous with a thought of possibly failing to integrate them by seeing numerous tiny shapes, sizes and colours. But I convinced myself to start playing, as I knew that to get results I need to play, without playing I will never get to experience and learn new things from it.
Learning to put puzzle together was more important than winning or loosing. I then had to centralize as I was deciding on where to start? As I belong to east part of the world. I thought it made more sense for me to start from countries in the east part of the world. I was doing pretty good and was enjoying every minute of putting that puzzle together bit by bit.
When I finished east part, gradually I moved to integrate middle east I knew I wasn't quite as good with it, so I thought of gathering similar colours hoping I will eventually get there and move further to Middle east then European countries, once again I noticed I was struggling to put every single countries together as I was only getting on well with known countries.
I collected matching colours and sizes hoping I could put them together. This logic of gathering similar colours and shapes helped me in a way because then I had to only look for missing gaps to fix pieces of puzzle in.
In an hours time I managed to put all those puzzle pieces together to create a picture of world map. I knew I had few more hours left before my son could wake up so thought to carry on to next option for beginners level and that was timing myself.
As it took an hour last time I thought of timing my game for 45 minutes this time. I started with confidence, as I knew basic logic behind putting puzzle together with help of different colours and had got jut out over it for the first time. I noticed that as soon as time started ticking I got bit restless and in many instances I left countries unfinished and moved to next one. I was getting too judgemental and concluding results without noticing that I was making mistakes. I was nowhere close to finishing line when clock started ticking to the remaining10seconds.
After 45 minutes my puzzle board looked absolute mess. I realised I wrongly jumped to greater level so early. I thought I could time myself without mastering it in first place. I asked myself one question, is there a message to this event of putting puzzle together. I felt like connecting this event to my real life experience.
If my life was like those pieces of puzzle holding different colour – events, size – experience and shapes – my knowledge. I thought how could I possibly put them all together to make my life a meaningful life.
I realised that my life is not any different from those puzzle pieces. My life sits on one board, that is my existence with different colour, sizes, shapes or events, experiences and knowledge. How I live life or play my game is purely my decision. I surely need to dream or to start somewhere to know where I am going because without the start I would never know the results.
Time I give for every little event will only help me to breathe slow and make right decisions and not get impulsive when dealing with people or events of my life. As rushing, breathing fast, getting too judgemental could lead my life in complete mess similar to those puzzle pieces left on board.
Gia Guru Nayak
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