REVOLVING AND RESOLVING

IT'S LIKE I'VE BEEN HANDED A BRAND NEW PUZZLE: Here's your life now. I feel like I just finished the last one and now it's going back in the box.

Allow me to wear this metaphor plumb out. Just before Christmas I bought a puzzle for the GrandKids to piece together while they were visiting for Christmas. Some were interested, some not. Jeremiah, the youngest, soon to be three, decided to take a turn. After a few seconds at the table I knew that at least one piece was missing. It was an edge piece because we had already put the entire border together. I lost interest. I said to Haddi and Harper, "How can you all keep working on that puzzle knowing it has at least one missing piece? It will never be complete!"

Haddi explained to me that when you have younger siblings you don't expect that all the pieces of the puzzle will be there. Harper added, "We might find it later, but if we don't it's no big deal."

NO BIG DEAL!?

My new puzzle is called retirement. I don't know what it will look like, I don't know how many pieces are in the puzzle and I don't know if, when it's finished, all the pieces will be there. Maybe it's no big deal. I will admit that the process of our family Christmastime puzzle was glorious. With about 50 pieces to go Haddi, Harper, Malachi and I sat at the table and brought the thing together, excitement growing as each of the final pieces became a part of the whole (or nearly whole). That last piece is still missing. It actually offers a bit of hope we hang on to that someday it will be found; and to some degree I don't want it to be found. I love that there is still a project with my GrandKids to be completed.

I have a friend that is reading a book that uses a concept called "pivot points" to talk about leadership. I like this picture of life being a series of pivot points, places where we can and should revolve a bit, seeking our best path forward. No doubt, life hands us some of those points, the ones where the only option is to pivot. And that's okay. A puzzle missing one or two pieces creates a pivot point and is still fun and fulfilling.

One of the most revolting words in our lexicon is the word: squander. It means missed opportunities, foolishness, waste, arrogance. When we close up and close off, letting prejudice, dogma, and maybe even sometimes, orthodoxy bind us and blind us, we squander. We lose the chance for experiences, relationships, adventure. Not only do I hate squandering, I fear it.

I'm at a pivot point, needing to revolve, needing a new resolution. Here's my thinking about that.

As much as I am appalled at squander and squanderers, I am encourage and vitalized by creators, wide-eyed wonderers, brave wanderers, those who squeeze all there is to be squeezed, unconcerned with the possible disappointment of potential missing pieces, people obsessed with excellence and the pursuit of the sublime that exists at every pivot point.

Here's an example: Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, pursued his musical genius with reckless abandon--almost too much. Through his mental illness he broke musical ground with a boldness that has inspired many. I'm using this quote from Brian to challenge myself as I crack open this latest puzzle box.

“Beware the lollipop of mediocrity; lick it once and you'll suck forever.”