The View from "Up There"
As we slog through the work day, we're sometimes reminded or compelled to view things from "10,000 feet" (or some multiple thereof). The point of this would be to take a more "strategic" glance at our plans and daily actions. It reminds me a bit of what we talked about last time: "Up
there," you're somehow above all the stuff that typically goes on in
your life "down here."
In business, elevating our gaze helps us to see the "big picture." As a regular exercise, it can help to keep our eyes on the horizon, rather than only and always staring into the unending series of tasks that command our immediate attention and action each day. Our earnest endeavors to attend to daily urgent matters ought not blur our memory of the purpose or "mission" of our business. Otherwise, we subject ourselves to the immediate demands of a customer, a colleague, or our boss, which demands can be constant and endless. When we keep both of these elements in focus - the big picture and the careful and complete execution of daily tasks, we've achieved real balance in running our business. We gain better control over our work flow. Like an experienced sailor adjusting his sails in the face of shifting winds in order to stay on course, we avoid being jerked this way and that by the urgent request of the moment and continually work towards achieving the important goals we've set for our business and ourselves.
In our spiritual lives, getting "up there" similarly prevents us from being subjected to the shifting winds of our feelings, both physical and emotional. I'd venture to say that few of us wake up each day feeling fit as a fiddle both physically and emotionally. Usually, some thing or things is always "up." Ranging from a pulled muscle from over-exertion during our daily exercise to some emotional upset resulting from an unpleasant exchange with a family member or business colleague, or simply a case of indigestion, each day brings its crosses. To reiterate what we read last time:
Compare this to making the effort - and it does take effort - to spend consistent time at that 10,000 foot level in your work. It's all too easy to give in to the pressures of the moment and make the excuse that we don't "have time" to spend on strategic thinking, just as it's all too easy to let our immediate physical and emotional feelings drive our thinking and decision-making in our spiritual lives.
As with any worthwhile endeavor, the initial effort will prove the toughest part, especially if you hardly ever step back from your daily fray to assess your surroundings. But with a bit of effort, applied consistently, even for only a few minutes at a time, you'll eventually stop being a slave to your feelings; and you'll resist the urge to respond to every little so-called "urgent" matter your work throws your way each day.
At the end of the day, you'll find the view really is better "up there."
In business, elevating our gaze helps us to see the "big picture." As a regular exercise, it can help to keep our eyes on the horizon, rather than only and always staring into the unending series of tasks that command our immediate attention and action each day. Our earnest endeavors to attend to daily urgent matters ought not blur our memory of the purpose or "mission" of our business. Otherwise, we subject ourselves to the immediate demands of a customer, a colleague, or our boss, which demands can be constant and endless. When we keep both of these elements in focus - the big picture and the careful and complete execution of daily tasks, we've achieved real balance in running our business. We gain better control over our work flow. Like an experienced sailor adjusting his sails in the face of shifting winds in order to stay on course, we avoid being jerked this way and that by the urgent request of the moment and continually work towards achieving the important goals we've set for our business and ourselves.
In our spiritual lives, getting "up there" similarly prevents us from being subjected to the shifting winds of our feelings, both physical and emotional. I'd venture to say that few of us wake up each day feeling fit as a fiddle both physically and emotionally. Usually, some thing or things is always "up." Ranging from a pulled muscle from over-exertion during our daily exercise to some emotional upset resulting from an unpleasant exchange with a family member or business colleague, or simply a case of indigestion, each day brings its crosses. To reiterate what we read last time:
If you get in the habit of living life "up there" you still see and you still feel all that's going on. It's not like you're not tired, a bit under the weather, and all the rest. It's just that now it won't drag you down or rip you apart or set you off. The reason is that "up there" in that upper part of your soul, you're operating in the world of reason and understanding. You make your decisions without haste or undo passion. And you make those decisions with a firm will that you've developed over time, one that's not sidetracked by how you happen to feel at the moment, or what emotions are tugging at you on this or that particular day. You focus on using your reason to think through what's really happening, and you use your will to decide that you're going to think and behave in a rational manner, even a calm manner.Now, don't think that it's easy to do this. Rather know that consistently making the effort to spend more time "up there" will eventually result in your having developed one of those good habits that will continue to yield fruit in your effort to grow closer to God.
Compare this to making the effort - and it does take effort - to spend consistent time at that 10,000 foot level in your work. It's all too easy to give in to the pressures of the moment and make the excuse that we don't "have time" to spend on strategic thinking, just as it's all too easy to let our immediate physical and emotional feelings drive our thinking and decision-making in our spiritual lives.
As with any worthwhile endeavor, the initial effort will prove the toughest part, especially if you hardly ever step back from your daily fray to assess your surroundings. But with a bit of effort, applied consistently, even for only a few minutes at a time, you'll eventually stop being a slave to your feelings; and you'll resist the urge to respond to every little so-called "urgent" matter your work throws your way each day.
At the end of the day, you'll find the view really is better "up there."
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