The Missing Piece

Have you ever tried putting a puzzle together, only to get to the end and discover that a piece is missing? You anxiously put the puzzle together, constantly examining the picture of your anticipated outcome, and a piece is missing. Piece by piece you work, only to realize that something is missing -- and only one piece. One piece of the puzzle is missing, and that one piece makes a huge difference because the puzzle is incomplete. That missing piece changes not only the picture, but also the anticipated outcome. You search and search for that missing piece out of frustration because of your desire to complete the puzzle in its entirety.

If you find the piece -- joy and a sense of accomplishment are felt. And if you do not find the missing piece -- frustration and a sense of disappointment set in.

Much like a puzzle, we spend a great portion of our lives searching for that missing piece. Because of our desire to be whole and complete, we search for a missing piece of our lives, sometimes looking in the wrong place. We think that finding a mate and falling in love will make us complete. We think that finding that job with the eloquent sounding title will make us complete. We think that wealth alone will make us complete. But in the end, what we find is that nothing outside of us will make us complete. Wholeness comes only by finding the right piece to fill that void within.

The extraordinary thing about a puzzle is that nothing can fill that void except the piece that is made to go there. No matter how much you try to force another piece into that void, if it was not made to fit, it will not fit. So, the puzzle either remains incomplete, or you search until you find the missing piece.

Search until you find the missing piece. Is there a missing piece in your life that will make the authentic you come together? You have the choice to either search within to find the missing piece, or continue to live with a void. No person or thing can fill that void unless it is meant to be -- and when it fits -- you will know.

Copyright © 2003 by Audrina Jones Bunton. REPRINTING THIS ARTICLE: Permission is granted to reproduce or distribute this article only in its entirety and provided copyright is acknowledged. You can find other articles to choose from at http://www.purposefully-living.com/mail ing%20list.htm

Motivational Speaker, Audrina Jones Bunton was born the seventh of eight children in her household in Pinehurst, North Carolina into a loving and committed Christian home. As she has 2 children, over 40 nieces and nephews and great- nieces and nephews, it is not unusual to find her under the same roof with many of her maternal five-generation family on weekends and on holidays. In her youth, she fondly recalls traveling throughout the U.S. with her family, as her parents ministered from state to state year after year-helping people as they traveled.

A graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology, Audrina is a Competent Toastmaster of Toastmasters International and serves as the North Carolina District Sergeant At Arms. She is a former counselor of the Durham Pregnancy Support Services, a Christian-oriented crisis pregnancy center in Durham, North Carolina and is currently a Social Research Assistant at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Audrina is currently studying at the Master's Divinity School in Evansville, Indiana with a combined concentration in Biblical Counseling and IABC certification.

She also serves as the Youth Director at the Come As You Are Evangelistic Center in Aberdeen, North Carolina where her mother, Lydia Jones is the pastor.

Modeling after a song that her mother so often sings, and one that Martin Luther King, Jr. often quoted, her life and speeches are based on the following lyrics, "If I can help somebody as I pass along, If I can cheer somebody with a word or song, If I can show somebody he's traveling wrong, Then my living will not be in vain."

Audrina resides with her husband William, and 2 children, Audrina Lorraine and William Woodrow.

---

Do you Live the Life you Desire?

There comes a time in every person's life when you look at yourself and wonder what became of all your dreams and plans for the future. What... Read More

How to Make it Big In Spite of Your Challenges

Imagine for a moment it's five years from now and you are still making the same income (or just a little more), living in the same home... Read More

The Top Five Great Reasons to Delay Pursuing Your Dream

1.2.3.4.5.Well, to be frank, there are no great reasons to delay pursuing your dream!You aren't getting any younger and before you know it you will be looking... Read More

Five Ways to Expand Your Comfort Zone

Expanding your comfort zone isn't quite the same as building self-confidence. However, the two do fit together rather nicely. The one begets the other. So many people... Read More

10 Common Money And Success Myths ? Part 2

Here are a few commonly held beliefs, or "myths," that hold many of us back from achieving success...Myth #1: I don't have what it takes to be... Read More

Are You IFFY?

Many people say that working for themselves or working on Straight commission is just too 'IFFY' for them.'I'd rather work for a company that will give me... Read More

Motivation and Change: Creating Your Daily Success Program

I get some of my best ideas for my column from my clients.One idea that really seems to work for one of my clients is having a... Read More

By Planning and Exerting Effort, You Can Change Things For The Better

Most of us plan to find the love of our life, our soul mate. It is a natural human instinct to find a partner. Someone who we... Read More

Letting Go Of Our Negativity

Everyone has something, whether it be a habit, or aspect of their personality, that they wish that they didn't have. For me, that something is fear. I... Read More

The New Morality

In a world where dynamism alters egos and principles in a man every second, where men divest in tenets that secure them from being devout to something... Read More

Pushing Through Your Comfort Zone

Our greatest growth in life comes from pushing through our present comfort zone. This process starts at birth. A baby feels safe, warm and secure in its... Read More

After the Big Project: Recovering From Success

My older daughter got married 10 days ago. The wedding was a joyous and extraordinary experience, way beyond our imaginings. I am deeply happy about all of... Read More

Casting Vision

One of my greatest loves as a kid was fishing. This love developed quickly because my family owned a little bait shop that was located near Toledo... Read More

Pride and Prejudice Can Be Healed and Melted Away

Several years ago, my husband introduced me to some potential clients of his at a summer picnic. A few glasses of wine for me and many people... Read More

Magic In The Leadership Zone!

"Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable, procures success to the weak - and esteem to all." - George WashingtonIn 2003 we... Read More

Staying the Course

Are you willing to stay the course? Once you have decided on a course and set sail toward your destination, you will undoubtedly face moments along your... Read More

10 Easy Ways To Stop Procrastinating

It is counterproductive to concentrate on so many tasks that you cannot accomplish them and may cost you time and energy with no results. Many people seem... Read More

How To Beat Procrastination At Work

Listen. If you don´t beat procrastination at work the long term consequences could be serious. Take this example of how expensive work procrastination can be...The assignment that... Read More

Celebrating the Couch Potato

Ah, the couch potato, that icon of American pop culture values. Isn't that the life? Why would anyone want to exert extra energy to be productive when... Read More

DAMAGED

On the J-O-B. That's where I met him. Quentin Cole was his name. Everyone called him Q for short. Q was an extremely attractive man. He was... Read More

You Can!

"There are only two ways of bringing brightness into your world; either change your attitude or open the closed doors of your brain"This holds true in all... Read More

Want Real Change in Your Life? Take Action!

It's easy to begin a year with analysis: months, days and even years of "thinking." Many of us would like to believe that "reaching goals" begins with... Read More

STOP! Reading the Headlines and Live Your Own Life First

Imagine! 40 is old. The California State Supreme Court has said that when are you are 40, employers can discriminate against employees using this age as the... Read More

Can Pain Be A Motivator?

Carol was a new client. She had been looking for a job for several weeks and wasn't having much success. As with most of my clients I... Read More

Stop Procrastination--Just Do It!

In this article I'll talk about the reason that stops most of Internet entrepreneurs from succeeding online.Have you ever wondered why only about 5% of us are... Read More

How To Get Motivated When You Have An Off Day

What can you do on days like these? Is there a way to get motivated and stay motivated?There are three simple yet powerful ways to pull yourself... Read More