The other morning when I came upstairs, Katie (age 7) was in her mom’s arms, crying, “It was all for nothing, Mommy.” I wasn’t sure what was going on (as I just woke up and was headed for the coffee pot!) As I was pouring my coffee, I realized that school was called off and her music program wouldn’t be happening that night. She had practiced and practiced for it and now…

It was all for nothing.

Or so it seemed at the time to her.

Of course, it would be rescheduled, but in her mind, all was lost. A colossal over exaggeration, of course, but in her mind, it was reality. All was lost. All of that hard work for nothing. No solo for her tonight.

She was fixated on her perception of what was. She couldn’t see the big picture. She didn’t accept the answer that it would be rescheduled or how much fun she had practicing. In her eyes, her life was over; the world had just ended.

Ahhhh, the “one track mindedness” of a 7 year old…

Hold on just a minute!

How many times have you been guilty of the same thing?

Busted!

I’m guilty of doing it too… I think we all are.

Sometimes it’s hard to see the big picture because we allow ourselves to be so wrapped up in the “what is” (our perception, that is) that we can’t see what really is.

Sometimes, just stepping back and removing the blinders and taking another look at the situation can bring you a fresh new perspective you hadn’t even thought of.

The other thing is just to let go of your attachment to the outcome. Maybe your way isn’t the best way. I know there have been many times when I’ve wanted something to work out in a certain way so bad that I couldn’t even see straight. I was so focused on how I thought it should be that I couldn’t enjoy how it REALLY COULD BE!

It’s the whole getting out of your own way thing that seems so easy in theory but so much more difficult in action…

So, the next time you get so focused on how you’re not getting your way and things aren’t going right in your life, keep Katie’s words in your head:

“It was all for nothing, Mommy!”

And then say, “YEAH, RIGHT!”

And then look at the big picture… It’s always there. You just need to open your eyes to it.

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