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What I Learned From Completing a Gradient Puzzle

Yesterday I completed my first 1000-piece gradient puzzle. It took me about ~7 hours to complete over the course of 5 days. I’ve always wanted to do a gradient puzzle and thought quarantine/social distancing during this time of Corona was the perfect time. Working through this puzzle was an experience that I wanted to write about because it felt different from the other times I did puzzles. I decided to document my reflections because working on this puzzle feels like a metaphor for life. 

When I opened the box, I felt slightly overwhelmed by the colors. I found all of the outer pieces, but realized that I needed to organize generally by color groups that stood out to me. I chose green, purple, blue, and pink. It took me a really long time to group the pieces and I was completely exhausted after that. I realized in that moment that completing this puzzle will taking me longer than I expected and that I would need small wins to keep me motivated till the end.

The next morning, as soon as I completed the outer pieces, my dogs excitedly ran up to me and messed it all up. I felt sad that some of the work I did the previous day went down the drain, but I reminded myself that this small unexpected event was just a detour. I placed the puzzle on a table to make sure this wouldn’t happen again. Lesson learned. 

I realized pretty early on that I could only work on the project during the day with a lot of bright natural light. It was the only way I could see the slight variations in the colors. Many times I had to stand up and look at the pieces from a very specific angle to see the colors clearly. It reminded me that sometimes the conditions just aren’t right for you to do something no matter how hard you try or want it to happen. Isn’t this life? We don’t always get what we want and SOMETIMES persistence & hard work doesn’t always lead to the outcome you want. There can be other factors at play that’s out of your control. 

There were moments when I would spend 10-15 minutes trying to add 1 more piece to the puzzle and moments where 5 pieces would fall right into place. When I hit a wall, I chose to step away for a bit. When there was momentum, I worked even harder. Life is like that too. There are ebbs and flows. It’s okay to take a break and it’s important to capitalize on moments when you are inspired & energized.

I was beyond happy when I dropped in the last piece of the puzzle. I felt my entire body relax and took a deep breath. I looked at the completed puzzle and thought “wow, this is really pretty”! I felt proud and joyful. It was a reminder that accomplishments, no matter how small are worth celebrating. 

I know this might sound ridiculous that I chose to write about my experience completing the gradient puzzle, but I really experienced a spectrum of emotions completing this damn puzzle. So many nice reminders to keep me grounded during these uncertain times. 

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Top 3 [December 2, 2019]

YBN Cordae ‘The Lost Boy’ album - this album is solid. I listened to this album twice from start to finish and really enjoy it. I’m shocked that he’s only 21. He has some dope features from Chance, Ty Dolla $ign, Anderson .Paak, Meek Mill. One of my favorite songs from the album is ‘RNP’. Not surprised b/c it was produced by one of my other favorites J.Cole. 

Roku - I’m beginning to think that cable tv is pretty unnecessary at this point. It’s been a long time since I watched live cable tv unless it’s a sports game or award show. Roku (+ its siblings) is pretty amazing if you think about it. It changed the way we access television, movies, and music. I’m annoyed with all the different streaming platforms, but I do love that I have one spot for me to access all of my subscriptions. 

Journaling - I recently started writing again. I don’t follow a prompt, I just let my mind wander and flow. It’s been extremely helpful on nights when I can’t sleep because there are so many things on my mind. I always feel so much better after. Everyone can benefit from this practice. Time to put by 20 empty notebooks to use. 

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Top 3 [November 18, 2019]

This idea came to my mind one night while I was sleeping. And here I am. You know we all have that one person we go to when you need something to watch, a new artist to listen to, or a spot to hit up in a city you’re visiting. This friend probably shares random things without being asked. Every other week, I’m going to share my random list of top 3s. Enjoy!

Rhythm + Flow on Netflix - this show is much better than I expected it to be. I think it’s rare to watch a competition where you root for all the finalists. My favorite episode is where the contestants get to feature on a song with a famous artist. If you appreciate hip-hop & even if you don’t, this show is a fun one to watch.

Parasite - This film was released in the US early October. It is the first Korean film to win the Palme d'Or award at the Cannes film festival. It’s a pretty wild film and incredibly enjoyable. Equal parts thriller, comedy, & social commentary. Don’t want to give anything away. Just go watch!

SuperM - My cousin and I went to our first k-pop concert this week. To give some context, Capitol Records (US) & SM Entertainment (KOR) decided to partner & their first venture is a “super group.” SuperM is composed of members from 4 of SM’s boy groups (EXO, Shinee, NCT 127, & WayV). The interesting thing is SuperM debuted in the US before Korea. The target market is clearly the US. They also announced a 10-city tour immediately after releasing a mini-album.

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(via https://open.spotify.com/album/7CAAClnSiXdMibPT1oyl4k)

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This is epic. Missing Aziz Ansari, Sterling K. Brown, + Common. 

rizahmed - We here

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A Year Later.

Exactly a year ago today I packed up my Hyundai SUV + drove 11 hours from DC to Chicago. After 6 years in DC, I made the tough decision to move back home. It was incredibly hard to leave the friends I met and the DC lifestyle. My time in DC played a huge role in shaping my identity in so many positive ways that I leaving felt like I was losing a piece of myself. 

There were so many ups and downs, and more transitions than I can count this year. I moved back in with my parents, started a job, quit after 3 months, held two short-term contracting gigs, declined an offer, re-entered the job search, and then started a full-time job. Spending 6 months in the job search was one of the most challenging and humbling experiences of my life. There were so many times I felt embarrassed, fearful, unsure, lonely, and insecure. 

One of my biggest struggles has been finding a community of folks that I connect with on a deeper level. Chicago feels large and it’s really easy to be disconnected. I see my small community growing slowly and I feel so blessed. I’m a connector and human interaction gives me so much energy and inspiration. 

This journey that I’m on looks and feels crazy, but I’ve grown so much that I’ve learned to embrace all of it. A year later, I’m truly happy to be in this moment and this place. I’m learning to love myself more and embark on things that feel uncomfortable. 

So much love to all of my friends, family, and random strangers for giving me support, lending an ear, sharing their talents, + showing me tough love when I needed it this year.

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One of my favorite playlists from spotify.

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I wanted to do another list of films on Netflix that aren’t as well known. There are two that didn’t make the cut, but you should still watch - Short Term 12 (recently removed) and Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong. 

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I like Netflix, but it takes me a long time to find something to watch. Here are my top 6 films right now. I’ve seen all of these films multiple times. I think I’ll do another set of films that aren’t as well known. 

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These are a few of my favorite things!

MochiThings 

Everyone knows I potentially have OCD & love organizational accessories that make life easier and happier. My friend shared this online store with me & it has spread like wildfire among my fellow organization crazies. You can find planners, notebooks, bag organizers, photo albums, & so much more.

Brit + Co

Check this site out if you want to ignite your creative energy. It offers DIY projects, recipes, online classes, health tips, & so much more.     

CreativeMornings

If you haven’t heard of CreativeMornings, you need to sign up for their email list now! Once a month or so they host a lecture series in the morning. Sometimes they host cool events in the evenings. I haven’t been able to attend a morning event because of my job schedule. I do listen to the podcasts available on the site and read the blog. It’s pretty inspirational.

A CREATIVE DC

DC is an amazing city. Just follow A Creative DC on Instagram & you will be amazed by the talent & beauty that exist in this community.

DailyWorth

This year I set an intention to be more financial responsible. The DailyWorth blog and daily email has been a great source of information and tips. I recently started learning about investing and realized that there’s a lack of financial literacy among us young adults. As I enter my late 20s I’m becoming more interested in how I can save more while still living my social lifestyle.

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I couldn’t find much info about this dude, Mansa, but I really like this song.

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3 things that transformed my life

Back in October of last year year I hit a super low point in my life. I was unhappy about my job and where I was at physically.  I was nothing but negative about everything and everyone. I would say that I was on the spectrum of depression. I knew I had to do something about my life & take control of my own happiness. I owe so much of my growth to friends who are on this journey of self-love & happiness with me. They inspire & push me to grow without judgment.

I want to preface this by saying that I am not claiming to have figured out the key to happiness. I’m just hoping to bring a little bit of light into your lives b/c trying to live a full life is one of the most challenging things out there. For me, ‘full’ no longer means an ideal job or particular grad school, but a life full of joy. I no longer base my happiness on goals that I haven’t met or other people’s expectations.

1. Operate with a mind of GRATITUDE

It’s so easy to harp on the negatives when things aren’t going as planned. I spent so much time hating my job that I was getting bitter towards friends, family, and co-workers for no reason at all. 5 months later and nothing about my job has changed, but my mindset has. For the entire month of January I completed a gratitude journal daily to remind myself of how lucky I am. I use an app called Gratiude365. I’ve stopped documenting it daily, but I now reflect weekly on the people, experiences, & things I’m thankful for.

2. Set intentions not goals

I didn’t realize there was such a thing as intentions. Goals are focused on the future, while intentions are entirely focused on the present. I have found that intentions force me to change small daily actions. In the past, I’d write a goal and then forget about it. It’s amazing how so many of my intentions have manifested themselves in my life and it’s only March! One of my intentions for 2016 is “I will move towards financial stability by managing my spending and putting money into my savings monthly”. This led to me opening a savings account. I started with such a small amount and slowly increased my amount each month. I even opened one for traveling. Living in DC, saving money is hard. Especially as a single professional, but I now believe it’s possible. :) State your intentions out loud and send them into the universe. With patience and action, intentions can and will transform your life and increase your overall happiness. 

3. Forgive, forgive, forgive

This is probably the hardest thing for me to talk about because I’m a stubborn person and have been my whole life. When I’ve been hurt by friends or situations, I have a tendency to hold grudges. This brings about a lot of unnecessary negativity. We can’t find joy and happiness in this world by actively being angry at people/situations. I learned to forgive myself for my actions and others for theirs.

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Great song & talented artist.

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Cambodian pork sandwich w/ pork buns from Maketto on H Street. It’s a restaurant, coffee shop, bar, & store all in one. They just started a dim sum brunch on Sundays. I’ll need to stop by for that. 

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So so excited to share my first playlist. It’s a playlist of instrumentals that I have on repeat when I need some serious concentration. I hope you enjoy! I was inpired by Spotify’s ‘Deep Focus’ playlist which is my go to playlist. There’s something really calming and soothing about songs without words. There are two songs on there that I know you’ll recognize for sure. Especially for all your gladiators out there. Enjoy!

Notes: I add to this list if I find new songs I like. :)

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NOLA rapper Pell has a unique sound that is really fun, but chill at the same time. ‘The Never’ is another song I really like from him.