It started with a 2,000-piece Stranger Things puzzle and a plan to bond with my daughter. What I didn’t expect? It would hijack my dining table and blow my mind with life lessons.

This shared time with my daughter quickly turned into solo brain breaks. And somehow, this puzzle transformed into a metaphor machine, dishing out insights faster than I could say, “Where’s Eleven’s elbow?”

Because let me tell you—I have absolutely thought I found the right piece. It looked perfect. The color? Spot on. The shape? Deceptively promising. I told myself a whole story about where it belonged and why it made sense.

And then… nope. Total betrayal. Doesn’t fit.

Cue dramatic sigh and minor identity crisis—because suddenly I’m questioning everything, including my spatial reasoning and life choices.

Other times, I spot a piece out of the corner of my eye and think, “Probably not it.” I try it anyway.  And it clicks into place like it’s been waiting for me to notice it all along. One connection leads to another, and suddenly a whole section comes together like magic. The same puzzle that felt impossible for days now shows scenes others recognize.

That’s when it hits me: Life feels a lot like doing a puzzle.

I can have all the pieces, but nothing seems to fit together.

I can even have the big picture—thanks, big poster and box top—but instead of guiding me to success, it throws me off, gives me false confidence. I know where something fits. I know what a piece is supposed to be. I tell myself, “Look at the texture! Check out the shading!” Except… it’s not. It was designed for a totally different part of the puzzle.

And the worst part? I realize I do this in life, too. Try to force things to fit. Hold onto an idea of how something should work because it looked right on the surface. Convince myself I know what is coming next. (Spoiler: I do not.)

And that’s when I remember something else: I don’t actually have to do this alone.

As much as I enjoy those solo puzzle brain breaks, it’s just more fun when my daughter—or anyone, really—joins me. Especially when we’re on the same page about how we’re puzzling together. Are we starting with the edges? Color-sorting? Is it acceptable to work in the same area or are we parallel playing—you take this section and I’ll take mine? Because when there’s no strategy talk, things get weird fast. (And yes, I’m 100% still talking about real life.)

I’ve learned a lot from this puzzle. Like how clarity doesn’t always come when I want it. How I sometimes need to let go of what I think should work. And how valuable it is to have someone nearby who sees things I don’t.

Because sometimes, we don’t need the whole picture to move forward—we just need someone willing to sit beside us while we figure out the next piece.

Your Turn:

• Are you forcing a piece that doesn’t belong—just because you’re sure it’s right?
  
  
• Is your picture of “how things should be” keeping you from seeing what could be?
  
  
• Would it help to have someone sit at the table with you—not to take over, but to help you get unstuck?
  
  

Ready to See Your Own Puzzle Differently?  

If life feels like a frustrating mess of almost-right pieces, you’re not alone. You don’t have to figure it all out in one sitting. And you don’t have to do it alone. 

Schedule a Discovery Session to partner with me to start sorting through the puzzle pieces of your life.