Losing Sight of the Bigger Picture Perhaps?

I’M INDEED BLESSED IN MY WORK. I work in an environment where I get to see many wonderful things that not many would ever take for granted. I work at a major shipping Port. Recently, however, during a time where there were a spate of management review meetings I felt myself exploding mentally—unable to cope with the streaming input; full-on, cognitive logjam. I felt that I just needed to escape. Too many people. Too many plans. Too much confusion. So I did—I escaped.

I decided to walk along the beautiful harbour and then I felt led to just sit down on the hardstand in a shady spot. As I began to collect my thoughts I was even joined by a stranger or two, with cameras in hand, they seemed fascinated as a massive car carrying ship steamed into port.

From a long way off the ship seemed small but in almost no time it was past us and it only seemed to take five minutes. Then as I considered its size and the majestic way with which it glided past, I was both overwhelmed and inspired at the same time. I wondered, how can we feel so small yet so big at the same time?

You see, I suppose I felt like this. Even though I felt mentally exhausted I did begin to then appreciate my little role in helping manage something so equally massive—in an organisational way—that supports that ship that was entering the port. ‘My work is significant,’ was my sentiment. It’s easy to forget that in the cloud of issues we often get tangled in.

And so it tends to be in life, beyond even this example. We can so easily lose our ‘big picture’ perspective; indeed, it’s destined to happen often.

We need a way back. We need a way of reviving the global picture so we see it all with true sight. Somehow we need to remember during these times that even though we’re small in the overall scheme of things, we’re never ever insignificant.

It’s funny, but as I re-entered ‘the cauldron’ a.k.a. my workplace, I recalled not only feeling encouraged but I sensed it also from others, especially those in the team I work with. Then I simply felt grateful! Exhausted, but grateful.

Let us never fall too long for the trap of being overwhelmed hopelessly by the pathetic minutia that hems us all in. We escape more into the broader reality and literally five minutes later we are potentially revived. With space and time to consider those “condemning” issues...

Really, how important are they?

Get the broader perspective on your life; do it now.

© 2010 S. J. Wickham.