Life is Like a Rubik's Cube

Or perhaps, it's like solving a Rubik's cube. There are many videos online where people "solve" the cube in 6 seconds and that sort of thing, but if you're fortunate enough to see this person also mix up the cube, you'll find that it takes approximately the same amount of time to "mix" it as it does to solve it. This is because they're following a particular algorithm to mix it and using the same one in reverse to solve it. From a higher perspective, they're creating the very problem they're endeavoring to solve, and since they created the scenario, they know how to fix it.

Actually solving the cube is a different matter entirely. You know, the cube that you hand off to the children to scramble and when they hand it back, it's a mess. That's more real. When you walk into any given situation, you have whatever life has tossed at you, and you have to take it from there to make it all right. A lot of people approach the cube by trying to solve one color at a time, and occasionally, they'll be able to swing one or colors doing it that way, but find when they try for the next color, they end up mixing up the ones they already finished. Solving the cube for this person is nothing short of frustrating because no matter what they do, they can't stop things they already worked out from mixing up again.

To solve a cube (and life) correctly, you can't look at one side or a single step. Sure a problem might have an immediate solution, but is that immediate solution the answer to the actual problem? A Rubik's cube has six sides. Are you only trying to solve one side or going for all six? If a file is corrupt is a program, are you only going to fix the one file or should you trace the problem back to its source to figure out where the corrupt file came from? A single step will involve doing the same thing over and over in vain. However, a step back to look at the big picture to define what the larger goal is will show what you need to do.

When you solve a cube, you don't do it side by side. You do it line by line.When solving one side, you have to remember the larger goal and solve the colors around the edges of that color as well by lining them up to the middle block as you solve the first color. This goal must be kept in mind while solving the first color, or it won't work. In correcting problems in life, you have to remember that bigger picture and ask yourself if this step is essential to the next and will it solve the bigger problem or achieve the larger goal? Is there something on this step that I need to do to assist the next step?

In the cube, you continue the solving sequence, by aligning the center line, followed by the center blocks of the side opposite from the one where you started. You continue until you finally have the final four corners almost lined up. The colors all match the corners where they are sitting, but it isn't aligned yet. In order to line up the final corners, you have to us a single algorithm over and over until one corner is aligned, spin the top to the next and keep going. This last step appears to rescramble the cube into a big mess, but when this step is done, all the layers are lined up, and it takes a couple of very obvious turns to bring it home to completion. This is honestly my favorite step because it looks a little spectacular. The application her is that sometimes, the final step of anything takes a leap of faith and trust in yourself. You can see what you need to do to get there, but it looks like it will get worse before it gets better. Sometimes it does, but as long as you have the goal in mind and press forward, you will get there and when you do, everything will fall into place until a few quick and obvious spins will present themselves and it is complete.

If your life is scrambled, don't focus on the mess. Work out where you need to be and see where the layers need to fall into place. Sometimes, it just takes a global perspective on the problem, and methodical working of the layers to find your way to the goal of having all your colors line back up.