The Restless Poet

This journey to peace is like completing a puzzle of an idyllic scene. The photo featured on the box illustrating the end result. The picturesque setting stirring emotions of what it would feel to be right there in the middle of the beautiful landscape. The vision of a better future in clear view but the hard work still to be completed. The pieces have been spread out waiting to be connected. The strategic ways to move through it being bounced around as ideas begin to form on where to begin as the mind glances back and forth between the final product and the looming mountain of Herculean tasks blocking the way.

Sometimes the pieces come together quickly. One after one in quick succession. The pieces seeming to appear and fall into place. Other times nothing makes sense. One may be left wondering if another puzzle somehow was mixed in and now you have to distinguish between what will fit and what needs to be separated out. It becomes a process and many times you have to step away, reflect and refocus.

There will be days that everything seems to be clicking and you can sit for hours working through it. Other times you can’t even manage to sit in the turmoil. It may be a day or several that distance is needed. A step back to clear the mind and craft a new strategy. Come at the situation from a new angle and be able to connect in a way that moves the process forward.

Patience is required. Sitting in the moment and taking it in. Studying the imagery of that peaceful setting and the rustic simplicity it invokes. That is part of the journey. Grasping the idea of what can be and directing the energy necessary to find that place of tranquility. Breathing deeply. Slowly inhaling and exhaling. The calmness necessary to turn back to the piece at work and see it with new eyes.

There will be loss along the way. A piece of the puzzle that is missing and the search for it until you can continue on. That search can sometimes be the most challenging and drawn out part of the quest to a better place. To not know where to look or knowing exactly what you are trying to find makes the pursuit all that more arduous. The fear of that loss permeating throughout and leaving the unsettling feeling that it may be left incomplete. The sensation of almost but not quite can be devastating to your momentum but the relief of finding that missing piece can bring the opposite of that overwhelming feeling of despair. A surge of adrenaline to stir the passion within to withstand what is left to finish.

The paramount part of solving the puzzle is who you bring in to maintain the momentum when your logical thinking and reasoning abilities are impaired. Those who know how to encourage and motivate but not overstep because they are conscious that this is your journey. Standing beside you, withholding judgement, whispering gentle suggestions and leaning in for comfort when the pressure builds and your fear won’t subside. Those placed in your path for just this moment. To convey to you that you can endure and persevere. Those willing to stay alongside you for as long as it takes to see you through to the other side and into a new spectacular version of yourself. 

Solving the puzzle is the ultimate goal but the transformation that takes place along the journey will bring the peace that is necessary to enjoy the end result. It will bring you to a new level of awareness of what you truly desire. To finally be able to be present in that tranquil place and feel the emotion from not only getting there but overcoming the obstacles along the way will forge new beginnings and a future thought only possible in dreams.