The past few months have been some of the best hours/days/weeks that I have experienced in quite a while. I have found myself stepping back in awe of how fortunate I am to be surrounded by such loving people. My awe has led me to realize that it is the simple things that make me smile…a sincere embrace from a loved one, the smell of a honeysuckle bush, the contagious laughter between a group of friends.

My recognition of what is important has grounded me. Big events that would have once left me scrambling do not appear as daunting as they once did. I know that I have the grace and support necessary to deal with whatever is thrown my way.

Now for a moment of stark honesty. I am human. I allow my mind to run away…to the big picture. I think that it is healthy for us to do so. Keeping the big picture in mind allows for us to accomplish our goals.

Sometimes, though, the big picture can be dangerous. We must be careful of recognizing our human limits. We are not fortune tellers. There is no way of knowing exactly which decisions/opportunities/moments we should be looking out for. We know the general direction that we should be walking but that is it.

I am telling you this because we all get caught up in the big picture. We experience days/weeks/months in which the present circumstances seem so overwhelming that we assume the big picture to be unobtainable because it becomes so complex.

The big picture can cloud the simplicity of life…the sweet text message that you receive from a loved one in the middle of the day, a really good book, the look on your child’s face when you return home from a long day at work…whatever it is that brings you joy.

Therapy is made for the overwhelming moments that cloud the simplicity of life. Sometimes it is nice to have the space/time/person that can help to pull you out and remind you that you are not a fortune teller. You are human. We all get caught up in the big picture and that is okay. 

It is important to keep the big picture in mind. But let me challenge you to focus on the simple things this week. After all…life is too short.