Elevate Your Mind: The Importance of a Big-Picture Perspective

Life can get overwhelming. Especially when you’re a striver. And you, my friend, are exactly that. You’re putting in the work to rejuvenate yourself. You’ve identified that you need a reset. You want to maximize your life. You want to achieve the best version of yourself and you’re striving to do so. Bravo! But here’s the thing: while constant effort is awesome, you can still get bogged down in your current hustle and bustle and quickly lose perspective. 

So keep this one trick in your back pocket and pull it out from time to time, as needed. 

Climb an imaginary mountain. 

Seriously. Lace up your imaginary hiking boots. Drink some nice, cold, imaginary water. Enjoy the journey, the fresh air. Take in the sounds of the forest. The birds. The rustling of the leaves. Notice the types of trees that surround you, providing you with an abundance of oxygen. Appreciate your heart beating, the sweat gathering on your forehead. Let the feeling of accomplishment wash over you from the effort you put in. Stop to enjoy the view at the top. Have an imaginary picnic if you want to. Heck, pour some imaginary chardonnay. 

And then tune into your life and your current situation from up there. From this vantage point, you have a wider lens. You’ll see a bigger picture. 

“We need to learn to set our course by the stars, not by the lights of every passing ship.” – Omar Nelson Bradley

The thing about a big-picture perspective is that it doesn’t allow you to see any details, let alone get wrapped up in them. And in the midst of a life where every minute is packed like a can of sardines full of details and to-do lists, this is a necessary shift.

It also lets you see how your life fits into the rest of the picture. You can see that there is more to the story. There is an entire world around you. And you can now see your place, position, and purpose within it. 

This shift in perspective can remind you that you are part of a much larger plan. The plan is not for you to understand. But from the top of your mountain, you see that it is there. Balance. Harmony. It’s all there. And it all works. And all is well.

Okay, but why did I have to put on imaginary hiking boots? 

Think of it like a guided meditation. By visualizing the whole experience of getting to the top of the mountain, you’re clearing your mind of the current moment and all its implications and making room for an entirely new perspective. 

Plus, guided visualization is awesome for stress relief and it forces you to slow down. 

So, when you start to feel like you just need a break — from the constant striving, the hoopla of your daily life, just stop. Close your eyes. And take a hike.