{"id":2021,"date":"2020-08-27T11:25:53","date_gmt":"2020-08-27T11:25:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/?p=2021"},"modified":"2020-08-27T11:25:53","modified_gmt":"2020-08-27T11:25:53","slug":"the-benefits-of-a-big-picture-perspective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2020\/08\/the-benefits-of-a-big-picture-perspective.html","title":{"rendered":"The Benefits of a Big Picture Perspective"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"big<\/a>
Photo by James Wheeler from Pexels<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Last week, the father of one of my daughter\u2019s friends unexpectedly passed away.\u00a0 He and I were exactly the same age.\u00a0 I\u2019d met him a handful of times.\u00a0 He was a corporate executive, and a devoted, highly involved parent.\u00a0 His sudden death made me think about how fleeting life can be.\u00a0 So often, we get caught up in the little issues of life.\u00a0 But the reality is that none of us knows when our last day will be.\u00a0 As a result, it is worth taking a big picture perspective on life.<\/p>\n

The problem is that when we don\u2019t look at the big picture, we spend our time focused on the little things that ultimately don\u2019t matter.\u00a0 For instance, this gentleman\u2019s obituary did not list where he went to university.\u00a0 Yet how much time do we spend trying to get into the \u201cright\u201d college?\u00a0 \u00a0His high-level position at an international company was a throwaway sentence.\u00a0 Yet, he probably devoted 50-60 hours a week to his job.<\/p>\n

Instead, the most interesting parts of his obituary were the things that were unique about him.\u00a0 He loved to tell jokes and make people laugh.\u00a0 Photography was his passion, and he would get up early in the morning or stay up late into the night to get an amazing shot.\u00a0 He was a devout Catholic.<\/p>\n

I personally will remember how he once took our daughters to the Guggenheim Museum on a cold, wintry day – not an activity that most fathers would do.\u00a0 However, he was an artistic person, and I suspect he enjoyed the museum as much as the girls.<\/p>\n

Realize that from a big picture perspective, our jobs really aren\u2019t that important.\u00a0 Unless your job is a calling, such as being a pastor or a nurse or doctor, your job is simply a way to make money.\u00a0 The size of our homes and the expense of our cars, likewise, aren\u2019t that important either.\u00a0 Let\u2019s face it.\u00a0 No one is going to remember you for the make and model of your car.<\/p>\n

What will be memorable about us?\u00a0 Read a couple of obituaries, and you\u2019ll find out.<\/p>\n

Below are ways to adopt a big picture perspective, so that your daily choices reflect your values and add up to a life well-lived.<\/p>\n

You Someday Will Be Remembered for the Way You Made People Feel<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cI’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.\u201d \u2013 Maya Angelou<\/p>\n

What Maya Angelou is getting at in the above quote is that your public accomplishments ultimately won\u2019t matter as much as how you treated others during your life.\u00a0 For example, where you went to college and your degrees will not be remembered as much as whether you were kind.\u00a0 Folks will remember if you encouraged them.\u00a0 They will consider whether you were generous with your time and your money.<\/p>\n

Think back to anyone you know who has passed away.\u00a0 You probably don\u2019t remember them for their professional accomplishments.\u00a0 What you may remember are the moments that they were good to you.<\/p>\n

For example, my Aunt Margaret was a head pediatric nurse at a hospital in Canada.\u00a0 But I never knew much about that aspect of her life.\u00a0 Rather, I remember her fondly because she was always kind to me.\u00a0 When I was small, she gave me a children\u2019s book of Bible stories that I still have.\u00a0 It is my most cherished childhood possession.<\/p>\n

So, when you look at life through a big picture lens, realize that while your career is important, it likely will not be how people remember you.\u00a0 You will be remembered for whether or not you were gentle and kind toward others.\u00a0 Folks will remember you for making them feel confident – or you may be remembered for making people feel badly about themselves.\u00a0 As Maya Angelou says, you will be remembered for how you made others feel.<\/em><\/p>\n

Give Your Concerns the Five-Year Test<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When we adopt a big picture perspective, we realize that what is an irritation today probably will not matter in the future.\u00a0 As a result, we should not be devoting our mental energy to the little annoyances that we encounter each day.\u00a0 They soon will be forgotten.<\/p>\n

Instead, we should focus on those issues that will impact us long-term.\u00a0 For instance, your work ethic today, will affect you in the future.\u00a0 Throughout my career, I have had a strong work ethic.\u00a0 As a result, when I\u2019ve looked for jobs, I\u2019ve been blessed with good professional references from the past.\u00a0 People may not remember specific things that I did at work over the years, but they do remember that I worked hard!<\/p>\n

Similarly, when you raise your children, realize what they someday will remember about their childhoods.\u00a0 They likely won\u2019t remember the little arguments, or the times that you said \u201cno\u201d to their going to a party.\u00a0 But they will remember when you cheered them on at their sports competitions and attended their school band concerts.\u00a0 Twenty years from now, they undoubtedly will remember how you celebrated them at their high school graduation.\u00a0 Those seminal moments matter.<\/p>\n

When we look at life through a big picture lens, we realize that the small concerns of today are just that \u2013 small.\u00a0 As a result, we need to focus on the things that will matter five years from now.\u00a0 Being kind and gentle. \u00a0Saying an encouraging word to someone who needs it.\u00a0 Celebrating our children and preparing them for a great future.\u00a0 Those are the things that matter today and beyond.<\/p>\n

When we adopt a big picture perspective, we start to get our priorities straight.\u00a0 We realize that the minor irritations of life will soon be forgotten.\u00a0 Instead, what is memorable and what matters is whether we have been kind, encouraging and generous to others.\u00a0 Did we treat others with respect and gentleness?\u00a0 If we live our lives looking at the big picture, suddenly being kind and good to others becomes the obvious choice.<\/p>\n

Email: meerabelle@meerabelledey.com<\/p>\n

If you would like to receive my Free E-Book, “The Confidence Course,” and sign up for my weekly newsletter, go to meerabelledey.com<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last week, the father of one of my daughter\u2019s friends unexpectedly passed away.\u00a0 He and I were exactly the same age.\u00a0 I\u2019d met him a handful of times.\u00a0 He was a corporate executive, and a devoted, highly involved parent.\u00a0 His sudden death made me think about how fleeting life can be.\u00a0 So often, we get…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":593,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Benefits of a Big Picture Perspective - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When we take a big picture perspective on life, we realize what is truly important in life. Read about how to look at life through a big picture lens.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, nofollow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Benefits of a Big Picture Perspective - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When we take a big picture perspective on life, we realize what is truly important in life. Read about how to look at life through a big picture lens.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2020\/08\/the-benefits-of-a-big-picture-perspective.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Your Morning Cup of Inspiration\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-08-27T11:25:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/390\/2020\/08\/pexels-james-wheeler-1592461-550x355.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Meerabelle Dey\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Benefits of a Big Picture Perspective - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration","description":"When we take a big picture perspective on life, we realize what is truly important in life. Read about how to look at life through a big picture lens.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"nofollow"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Benefits of a Big Picture Perspective - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration","og_description":"When we take a big picture perspective on life, we realize what is truly important in life. Read about how to look at life through a big picture lens.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2020\/08\/the-benefits-of-a-big-picture-perspective.html","og_site_name":"Your Morning Cup of Inspiration","article_published_time":"2020-08-27T11:25:53+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/390\/2020\/08\/pexels-james-wheeler-1592461-550x355.jpg"}],"author":"Meerabelle Dey","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2020\/08\/the-benefits-of-a-big-picture-perspective.html","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2020\/08\/the-benefits-of-a-big-picture-perspective.html","name":"The Benefits of a Big Picture Perspective - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2020\/08\/the-benefits-of-a-big-picture-perspective.html#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2020\/08\/the-benefits-of-a-big-picture-perspective.html#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/390\/2020\/08\/pexels-james-wheeler-1592461-550x355.jpg","datePublished":"2020-08-27T11:25:53+00:00","dateModified":"2020-08-27T11:25:53+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/#\/schema\/person\/7250ab2fc75dd2e7e923fbec0fbb375c"},"description":"When we take a big picture perspective on life, we realize what is truly important in life. Read about how to look at life through a big picture lens.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2020\/08\/the-benefits-of-a-big-picture-perspective.html#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2020\/08\/the-benefits-of-a-big-picture-perspective.html"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2020\/08\/the-benefits-of-a-big-picture-perspective.html#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/390\/2020\/08\/pexels-james-wheeler-1592461-550x355.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/390\/2020\/08\/pexels-james-wheeler-1592461-550x355.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2020\/08\/the-benefits-of-a-big-picture-perspective.html#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Benefits of a Big Picture Perspective"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/","name":"Your Morning Cup of Inspiration","description":"Beliefnet Voices - Meerabelle Dey","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/#\/schema\/person\/7250ab2fc75dd2e7e923fbec0fbb375c","name":"Meerabelle Dey","description":"Meerabelle Dey has a B.A. in History and Religious Studies from the University of Toronto and a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law. Much of her legal career has been spent dealing with issues affecting women, children and the poor. She has lived in the United States, Canada and the Middle East. Meerabelle now devotes her time to writing. Her mission is to use her writing to inspire others to achieve God\u2019s unique purpose for their life.","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/author\/mdey"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2021","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/593"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2021"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2021\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2033,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2021\/revisions\/2033"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2021"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2021"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2021"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}