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The ‘IKEA Effect’

LIFE and IKEA. Same thing, right?

We’ve all built a Billy bookcase. The picture looks simple enough but the project is devilishly complicated. There’s an art to piecing it together. What you thought would be a one hour job has taken you all of Saturday and well into Sunday.

There’s been a lot of cursing and the palm of your hand is bruised as you screw the last pieces together. All done, you chill, grab a cuppa, look at your handiwork and feel proud.

Sure, there are a few bits you didn’t need and it doesn’t look exactly as you imagined, but it’s pretty good. The whole thing is a bit wobbly but your IKEA masterpiece holds a special place in your heart because of the effort expended.

And it’s the same with life. Not only is it a bigger project than you imagined but it’s also devilishly complicated trying to piece the bits together. They don’t all fit.  There’s a lot of cursing and bruising along the way. Yes, your LIFE project will be a bit wobbly but you appreciate it more if you’ve had to struggle a bit.

Congratulations. It’s your life. You built it. It might not be exactly as you pictured,  but that’s okay. Chill, grab a cuppa and take a moment to admire your magnificent handiwork.