Have you noticed your life is like a jigsaw puzzle? You won’t necessarily see it when you are in the middle of living your life, but as you take a step back it’s easy to see when one piece shows up, and then another piece, and before you know it the puzzle starts coming together. Sometimes a particular person will answer a question and feel like a piece of the puzzle is there when you meet them or they say something that shifts your focus or your belief structure. Sometimes one relationship or job experience you think of as “bad” is a stepping stone to something better. Many times I’ve heard people with Cancer say they are glad they went through it because their life on the other side is so much better.

I’ve put together jigsaw puzzles for years. Each piece fits in a specific part of the puzzle. But sometimes the pieces seem to fit where they don’t really belong and the whole picture just doesn’t come out right. Sometimes we just need to rethink the pieces and how they fit together.

Please don’t think of anything in your life as unforgivable or something you wish had never happened.  It is all just part of the puzzle…part of the plan.  Without the whole of it, the puzzle won’t be a complete picture.  You need every piece to make your life what you want it to be.  The harder lessons make way for being grateful when things are working.

Remember as you put the pieces of the puzzle of your life together, you are in charge of the color and the shape of the pieces. You decide on the picture. Do you want a life that is colorful and exciting or calm and peaceful? You have the power to make the puzzle of your life anything you want. Use that power wisely.