Making Connections
I love making connections! Friends often tease me about striking up conversations with cashiers, servers, or random strangers. They can tease me all they like. I find life much more enjoyable when I feel connected. So it makes sense that I recently started playing the New York Times daily puzzle called “Connections” with my siblings. As the name implies, it’s also a fun way to stay connected to them!
If you aren’t familiar with “Connections,” each day the puzzle creator, Wyna Liu, gives us 16 words. Our job is to discover the 4 connecting themes and place them into 4 groups of 4. Because of my work with Family Constellations, my brain is wired to look for patterns. That’s why I find it so enjoyable and stimulating to strengthen that part of my brain with this puzzle. Click here if you want to give it a try.
Some days, the thread that connects the words pops out at me immediately. Other days, the connections are much more elusive. Wyna Liu can be very sneaky with her word choices. She often puts words in the puzzle that seem to go together perfectly. But I have learned that if it feels too easy, she is probably trying to trick us into making a faulty guess. I appreciate the challenge!
The puzzle from last Tuesday, December 3, was a prime example. Four of the 16 words were Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. One would think that was an obvious group because they are all types of entertainment awards, specifically the ones that make up the coveted “EGOT.”
Alas, that was not one of the groups. I’ve been playing the game long enough to recognize one of Wyna Liu’s clever deceptions. Dismissing that as an option, I eventually saw the connection for 2 of the word groups, but the other 2 completely stumped me. I spent some time pondering it before bed (the new puzzle drops at midnight every day), and then I surrendered for the night.
Here’s the funny thing. As soon as I clicked off the lamp on my nightstand, re-read my daily lesson from A Course in Miracles, and laid my head on the pillow, the connection for one of the remaining groups popped into my head. I saw it so clearly once I stopped staring at the puzzle. Somehow, I recognized that 4 of the words were names that could be spelled with just 2 letters. (ie: Katie = KT.) Thankfully, I remembered this aha moment when I woke up the next morning and was able to solve the puzzle.
Why am I sharing so many details about a silly puzzle, you may ask? Well, it was a great reminder of something I often share with my Spiritual Coaching clients. When I’m intensely focused on a problem or situation that I can’t resolve, sometimes the best course of action is to walk away from it or stop thinking about it for a while. The solution often comes when I give it space to arrive. When I get all worked up and frustrated, I have created a hostile environment where the solution is not welcome.
That’s why I do my best to avoid the phrase, “I’ll figure it out.” That puts a lot of pressure on me to deliver something that may not be possible from my limited perspective. Instead, when I have a persistent problem, I prefer to say, “It will be revealed.” That way, I open myself up to Divine Inspiration so creative solutions can enter my awareness seemingly from out of the blue.
And that’s exactly what happened with the Connections puzzle that night. As soon as I stopped trying to figure it out and put my attention somewhere else, the answer dropped in. There’s a great line in one of my favorite inspirational songs that speaks to this phenomenon. Have a listen to Michael Gott’s version of “Amazing Things.” At about 2 and a half minutes in, he sings, “Sometimes deepest answers come. When you’re out there having fun. So close your eyes. Take a breath, and smile…”
It’s so true! If you are currently trying to figure something out and not coming up with any solutions, perhaps you will give yourself permission to stop thinking about it for a while. Take a walk in nature. Watch a video or movie that inspires you or makes you laugh. Listen to music that makes you dance. Or maybe take a nap! Once you make a safe and peaceful place to welcome the solution, it will often drop right in.
If you are having a hard time creating a welcome space for the answer to a persistent problem or challenging situation, it would be my great honor to assist you. Consider giving yourself the gift of a series of Spiritual Coaching Sessions or a private Family Constellations Session. Both provide an opportunity to see things from a different perspective so new ideas and creative solutions can drop in. Please look around my website for more information and to book a session. I look forward to creating that space with you!
Until next time, may all you need be revealed to you in miraculous ways.
A tranquil mind is not a little gift.
A Course in Miracles ~ M-20.4:8