Cheat code: LEARN

I've been playing a puzzle game on my phone lately, one where you have to slide pieces around each other in an effort to maneuver each piece to its color-coded exit spot. The more pieces you remove from the board, the easier it gets to clear the board. ​

Image by PIRO from Pixabay

But each round is timed. I can't skip a level or advance to the next round until I clear whatever level I'm on, but there is no limit to how many times I can try. At least not that I've encountered so far. 

On some of the more difficult levels, if I'm lucky, I manage to clear a single piece (or maybe two) before the time is up on my first try. 

With every attempt, I gain a little more experience with that particular configuration as well as insight on how these particular pieces needed to move in conjunction with other pieces in order to solve the puzzle. I begin to understand how each piece moves, what it's limitations are, and what it's relationship to the other pieces are.  With each new attempt, I figure out how to remove more pieces before timing out, and, eventually, I am able to clear the board in the allotted time.

By this point, it feels like I'm cheating as I strategically slide pieces around the board like I know what I'm doing.

In truth, I do know. 

In life, I sometimes think I keep facing one particular challenge over and over again. 

What if, each time I encounter this challenge, I paid attention to its unique circumstances, and noticed how I respond to all the variables involved in it? I might begin to understand why I respond the way I do, how my responses affect the whole situation, how different responses might affect it, and so learning what my relationship to the outcome is. 

What if each time I encountered this particular challenge, I considered it an opportunity to gain a little more experience with that particular situation, and to gain insight into myself and how I might be influencing it? Eventually, I'd figure out how  to resolve it.

At that point, it might feel like I'm cheating as I strategically and confidently move through the situation like I know what I'm doing.

In truth, I do know. ​