the feed @ blackchicken

Life really is like the game of Jenga: a tower built with pieces that can uplift or break down. The pieces are in constant motion and the tower is in a constant state of change. Sometimes the pieces move in just the right spot to give the tower more strength. Other times those pieces just seem to mess up the whole core of the tower, and the tower becomes weaker and vulnerable to destruction.

Each of the pieces is wedged into the tower, some more solidly than others. They are all unique. No two alike. Every piece comes with its own shape, dings, and dents from the relentless climb up the tower and the unceremonious fall back down. Occasionally, one of those pieces gets restless and needs to move. This causes the tower to teeter and sway. Another piece may become uncomfortable in its current state, shaking the whole foundation of the tower and causing all the other pieces to be in a state of discomfort too.  The stability of the tower might give way to all those pieces awkwardly trying to fit together. When the tower comes tumbling down (because it always does), you have to start building it back up again. This time you decide that some of those pieces aren’t suitable for the long-term stability of the tower, so they will be removed or relegated to less problematic locations outside the perimeter of the tower. They are kept in reserve, looked after, but only placed into the tower when the tower has rebuilt a strong foundation.

When the tower does eventually fall, and you’re standing there with the pieces scattered around you, it’s time to seize the opportunity to build an even stronger base. Once all the pieces have fallen, it’s time to reflect on which pieces were the weakest and most vulnerable in the tower. You can’t throw those pieces away. They have to be integrated back into your tower – over time. Integrated such that the other pieces provide a foundation for the weaker pieces to be propped up, but without risking the stability of the whole tower. Sometimes, you need the tower to come crashing down. The important thing is to pick up those fallen pieces and find a new way to fit them together that doesn’t compromise the strength and integrity of the tower. Every tower has weak spots, it’s how we protect and care for those spots that will ensure its future stability.

M. xo