Which puzzle are you solving?

In 1974, a Hungarian professor of architecture invented a toy that is considered the world’s best-selling toys. The toy is in form of a puzzle, originally called the Magic Cube, and later named it Rubik’s Cube, after his name Erno Rubik,

A Rubik’s Cube has six sides and each side is marked with one solid color: blue, green, red, orange, yellow, and white. To solve the puzzle, each side must have a single color, and it took the inventor one whole month to figure out how to solve the Rubik’s Cube. Is it because there are 42 Quintillion possibilities to solve the puzzle but only one solution?

In solving the Rubik’s Cube, you don’t get one color say white, on one side as it is required then avoid undoing it in an attempt to fix the other sides with their respective colors. You must keep on altering the completed side in order to completely solve the whole puzzle through a given pattern that must be followed to achieve this. If you are a novice, you become very reluctant to undo the completed side.

Like the Rubik’s Cube, life is a puzzle with different sides. We categorize them differently as personal life, career life, family life, social life and so on. I call them departments. I generally classify the departments as the body, mind and soul. The body is where the physical activities happen, health, appearance and posture are taken care of in this department. The mind is where decisions are made; it handles the knowledge and the intellect faculty. Creativity, relationships, consciousness reside in the soul and these three departments are interdependent.

Since living is the only thing we do full time, we need to find our purpose in life and put all these departments in order. That is the puzzle we should solve, finding our purpose, because the purpose of life is a life of purpose. Therefore, we need a wholesome approach to life and take charge with the seriousness it deserves. Some sides may seem to be working so well in our lives maybe because it is what we have come to accept as our destination and we would not wish to change what we are so used to.

As we find our purpose in life we may need to read more, workout more or socialize more to create some more meaningful relationships. This may cost us some friends, some sleep and energy. Conforming to the prevailing conditions needs no effort. However, changing our physical, mental or spiritual environment needs lots of effort and when we become in sync with our lives’ core aim we are able to focus our strengths in more meaningful ventures.

A more purposeful life means we confront our situations and start engaging to the uttermost, our unique talents and contribute positively to the lives of others. Improving the lives of others is said to be the surest way of improving your own life. That is why every great person has something to share. 

©Olegamba 2014.