Sunday, November 10, 2019

The Big Picture by @SatinRussell #RomanceGems

woman standing on bridge
This month’s Romance Gems topic about Life Lessons got me thinking about how perspective helps shape our worldview. There are people who excel at focusing on all the little details and lose sight of the bigger picture.

And then there are people like me who are good at seeing the larger whole, but sometimes forget all the little details that are needed to make it happen. Thank goodness we have both types of people or nothing would ever get done!

Photos are a wonderful way of illustrating this point about perspective. Take this top photo for example. What could she be looking at with such intent? Grasping the ropes so tightly, with her blue jacket flapping in the breeze around her hips.

Is she at the zoo staring at some exotic animal?

Is she on a balcony looking down at a crowd? Observing the people from afar, slightly above and slightly removed.

Or, maybe she's on an overpass somewhere, watching life and traffic flow past her.


Actually, she was a travel companion of mine in Ireland. We were crossing the Carrick-a-Rede Bridge. I remember the fear and trepidation reflected in her face as she stepped out onto the creaky planks.

She got about halfway across when suddenly her knees stiffened and refused to carry her any further. She stood there, eyes wide, breath suspended...and faced the true realization of her mortality.

With much coaxing and prodding, we managed to convince her to finish her journey. As her foot touched solid ground, her face broke out in a wide smile. Her cheeks flushed with an overwhelming sense of joy and relief  she was ALIVE!

That's how life can be. We can get caught going through everyday motions: get up, brush your teeth, take a shower, get dressed, go to work, drink coffee, answer phones, curse the traffic, eat dinner, watch TV, brush your teeth, go to bed...then rinse and repeat.

Little details. Mundane steps. All the while forgetting to remember the bigger picture. To stop and take it in. Hold on with both hands until your knuckles turn white and you have no other choice but to notice  you're ALIVE!

Be joyful!

Be thankful!

How about you? Do you have an example of how changing your perspective helped you though a moment in your life? Do you consider yourself more of a "Big Picture" or "Detail-Oriented" person? Let me know in the comments.



November tends to be a month to focus on anything good in your life, whether that's family, friends, experiences or all of the above. It's a time to take stock and give thanks for what has brought you to this moment.

Grateful, Thankful, Blessed—that's what we Romance Gems Authors feel. Join us this month in celebrating the Life Lessons we all learn. Click the link and enter our November Rafflecopter now for a chance to win 1 of 5 Amazon Gift Cards.

OR, check out our Monthly Giveaway page for more details.

9 comments:

  1. I am quite certain I wouldn't have set foot on that bridge. Ever. Fear of heights has only become worse over the years. Good post. I can easily see the big picture and miss the small details.

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  2. You women are very brave to cross that bridge. You must have tons of adventures. Great perspective too. Thanks.

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  3. Nope, no way, not ever. Not that bridge. I was thrilled to have climbed castle stairs and kissed the Blarney Stone when we were in the UK, But suspension bridges are too much. Oh and I’m definitely a big picture person.

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  4. Haha! You wouldn't find me on that bridge! As for the other, I definitely like details, but I've also realized that life is too short to worry too much about the far distant future. Live for today or you won't have a distant future.

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  5. I have PTSD so there have been many times where something as simple as going to the grocery store alone was a victory for me. Now that bridge... No way... Lol

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  6. I don't really know which I am! Oddly enough, for most of my life I would have had to crawl across that bridge. But suddenly one day I realized i was standing on top of a mountain looking down at the view and I didn't feel uncomfortable at all. My fear of heights just vanished and has been gone ever since. I've never been able to figure that one out!

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  7. Interesting post, Satin. I crossed a hanging bridge between 2 mountains in Taiwan several years ago. Didn't bother me a bit. Heights still don't bother me. The swinging of that long bridge when you got halfway was a bit disconcerting though. *g* As far as big picture or details, I'm a bit of both I think.

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  8. A change of perspective? It has helped me to put myself in other's shoes before coming to a conclusion about them.

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