Life can be like a jigsaw… and if you have ever tried a jigsaw, it is time-consuming, and it can be frustrating.
Life changes and all of a sudden, your life becomes a huge jigsaw with millions of pieces in front of you, then the task is to put the pieces in the right places so the picture becomes clear. It’s crucial to comprehend the reasons behind your repeated experiences. It is important to understand the reasons behind your past experiences and their purpose. Putting a million pieces in place requires a lot of patience and dedication. Times when you try to force a certain piece in and other times you feel like getting a pair of scissors out to cut the piece to size, but you never would, would you? This mistake would always stand out in the picture for you, even if for others it looked perfect—you would always know, and your focus would go straight to that “misconstruction.”
Where do you diminish yourself to fit in or to appear more modest?
One day when the glass insert of my coffee maker jug broke and I emptied the jug – there were a million pieces of glass. I carefully touched them and I pondered, “How on earth can I assemble all these pieces?” This is impossible!’ Although I did not actually put those pieces together, I was able to compare them to my life at the time. Therefore, I embarked on this journey, resolving each piece of my life in its proper place, while simultaneously cultivating patience, self-love, a positive mindset (careful – toxic positivity can do more harm than good), strength, consistency, perseverance, self-assurance, celebrating each individual’s success, and ultimately, living with authenticity and compassion.
Whilst I was putting all those pieces together, I accepted that it was okay to walk away from it at times to get a clear mind as I knew I would always return. I accepted that sometimes one can be angry with oneself if it doesn’t affect someone else. I accepted that mistakes are needed, and you don’t have to mask anything because mistakes only give you feedback. I did not fail in picking up the wrong pieces at times … all it showed me, when I did pick up the wrong piece. I just had to look for the right one. I did not have the need to get the scissors out, I wanted to find the right piece, no matter how long it would take me as I also enjoyed the journey to the outcome of having a sharp picture in front of me.
In other words, we often try to put our “map” onto others, and we become frustrated when the map doesn’t fit. Don’t get the scissors out and cut it down to size, accept the other map and try to adjust yours with love and compassion, with setting boundaries, as they are important as they protect your own values. Once you have mastered the understanding of your past and its lessons, you can say, ‘Once upon a time…’ This will lead you to the next chapter of your life, free from past emotions and without suppression. Most hold on to their emotions or look th eother way by not feeling. Some even used the tool of spiritual bypassing.
Your body holds the emotions of your past. To be precise, your nervous system holds those emotions. I call it the subconscious. Can you remember a situation where you got triggered? That is your nervous system communicating with you. Something is not right. When this emotion occurs, it is a moment to stop and feel. I call it a body scan. Where do I know this feeling from? Where have I experienced it before? Your nervous system (body) doesn’t lie. It gives you the truth but we often override it. Feelings communicate your past experiences. It is a memory.
Many people push their emotions down and it is like holding a ball under water and when you let go of it, the ball jumps up and your emotions surface. This emotional buildup can manifest as shouting, envy, jealousy, or a desire for revenge against others.
Self-mastery does not mean you don’t feel. It means you can act calmly and peacefully, knowing and accepting your feelings. You can walk away without creating havoc or a fuss.