The last few days have been quite stressful professionally and personally. In spite of having a plan B & plan C to ensure things go on smoothly, everything seemed to be falling apart.
I told myself I have done everything in my circle of influence, and all I have to do now, is let things happen the way they want to and at the pace the universe wants it to. I suddenly found solace in the classic game of Tetris.
I have been mindlessly playing Tetris at midnight, at 2 am, and again at 3 am… to keep myself busy when I am unable to sleep from the worry.
In the first hour of playing, the game felt surprisingly satisfying. I could turn the pieces in any direction and place them exactly as my mind planned. Each time I heard the tune “ti na ni nit”, a wave of accomplishment washed over me — a tiny dopamine rush that brought me the missing piece, or rather, peace in my mind.
By the 22nd round, I realized Mr. Tetris was teaching me something.
No matter how carefully I tried to interlock the tiles, I couldn’t succeed every single time — gaps always remained. That worried me: “Am I failing to stick to the plan here too?”
But as I continued playing, I noticed something magical. I saw the blocks eventually cancelled themselves — they “ti na ni nit”-ed into place, exposing the gaps and giving me another chance to fill them. It wasn’t the way I planned, but it still gave me an opportunity to win.
And that’s when it struck me: maybe the gaps aren’t failures at all. In fact, they’re the very thing that makes the game exciting. Just like in life, where missed steps and unplanned turns often create the space for something new, something always better.
I wrote this article at 4.30 am today when I had the biggest ooze of dopamine from this gush of realization which put me instantly to sleep.
I really hope this article helps my readers in their time of Tetris deficiency.
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August 23rd, 2025 at 9:33 am
Remembering Irrfan’s movie dialogue “Life is messy. It doesn’t make any sense. Life is random, and everything is random. There is nothing we can do to control anything” from the movie Puzzle.
Irrfan Ka Fan
Aravind 🙂
August 23rd, 2025 at 9:42 am
Very true indeed, when we start looking deeper into the most mundane of things around it starts to make much more sense and gives a whole new perspective!
And thanks for sharing a new tip for a dopamine rush 😃
August 23rd, 2025 at 10:56 am
You have so beautifully penned it.. love it..xoming from someone who is exactly like you – i can totally relate to this and its brings a whole different perspective of looking at things. Love this absolutely!!! Keep penning and sharing!!!
August 23rd, 2025 at 11:04 am
Thank you so much 😊❤️❤️
August 23rd, 2025 at 2:31 pm
It is so nice and realistic
Fantastic
August 23rd, 2025 at 2:31 pm
It is so nice and realistic
Fantastic
August 23rd, 2025 at 2:33 pm
Thank you 😊
August 23rd, 2025 at 5:13 pm
Beautifully penned and corollary drawn is wonderful. Life is very simple the more we pan and the more we expect we complicate it for ourselves..❤️❤️❤️❤️
August 23rd, 2025 at 5:14 pm
Thank you so much 😊😊
August 23rd, 2025 at 7:00 pm
Loved this piece, Preeti! The way you connected those late-night Tetris rounds to life’s unpredictability was so refreshing. The reflection around the 22nd round; that the “gaps” aren’t failures but part of the bigger design; really stayed with me. A beautiful, relatable read overall!
August 23rd, 2025 at 7:19 pm
Such a short one and beautifully worded Preethi 🙂
August 23rd, 2025 at 8:37 pm
Unexpected changes, challenges and chances come, yet nothing in our control… Just need to go with the flow… Well narrated the experience… Keep going.. All the best
August 23rd, 2025 at 8:47 pm
Loved this reflection! Life really is like Tetris — no matter how perfectly we plan, the gaps show up, and often those very gaps create the breakthroughs. Thanks for sharing this reminder.
August 23rd, 2025 at 10:24 pm
Thank you so much 😊
August 23rd, 2025 at 10:25 pm
Thank you so much 😊🙏🏽🙏🏽
August 23rd, 2025 at 10:26 pm
Thank you 😊
August 23rd, 2025 at 10:27 pm
Thank you so much 😊🙏🏽
August 24th, 2025 at 1:45 am
Putting the late night (or should I say early morning) dopamine rush to good use. Very nicely written!
August 24th, 2025 at 5:59 am
Heyyy thank you 😊
August 24th, 2025 at 9:23 pm
Very true!
August 24th, 2025 at 9:26 pm
🙏🏽🙏🏽
August 25th, 2025 at 10:23 am
Great writing as always. I too play solitaire when stressed or when facing a writer’s block. So I can I empathise with the 4:30 am blog 😊 and let me tell you that ‘philosophising’ tetris can be done by only by unique individuals like you so go on and play 😊 Many times taking a step back or taking a pause helps to get a clearer perspective. I really appreciate the honesty and positivity of your thoughts. 👍
August 25th, 2025 at 11:00 am
Very well written Preethi.
This is what our life is all about.
No matter how much you try to fit in the pieces life does throw challenges once in a while. One just needs to be ready & accept those challenges.
Loved reading this article
August 25th, 2025 at 11:11 am
Thank you so much Mrs.Chatterjee 🙂
December 20th, 2025 at 8:22 pm
Very nicely penned preeti. I can understand. It relates. Keep going
December 20th, 2025 at 8:23 pm
Thank you so much ❤️🙏🏽