I’m sure all of us have some experiences with jigsaw puzzles.

A jigsaw wouldn’t be much fun if all the pieces were the same. In jigsaws, most of the pieces (if not all) are different. When you try to fit the pieces in together, we don’t try to make all the pieces the same. We look for the right place, where the piece compliments those around.

The same goes for life, and society. We always hear about people wanting to “fit in” and such. Most of the time, they say they can’t fit in because they’re too different, and thus are attempting to be more like those around them. They wish they weren’t so different. But just like a piece of a jigsaw, fitting in in society is not about being the same as everyone. It’s about finding the right place for yourself, where even though you are different, you compliment those around you. It’s about finding a place where you can connect with people, even people who are completely different.

That’s where the fun and challenge of a jigsaw comes from. From finding the right place, and seeing how the pieces link up together. And that’s where relationships are the most meaningful, when you can see how you and those around you complement and “align” with each other despite your differences.

It’s when all the pieces link together and are in the right place – when the differences between the pieces allow them to complement and align with each other – that the puzzle can be completed. And it’s only then that the true, complete picture of art can be seen.

In life, it’s only when the differences between you and those around are reconciled – when you find people who complement you – that the best things happen. The most meaningful relationships come not from similarities, but from differences.

How can you embrace your differences and use them to help fit in with those around you?