Perspective

I named this photo Perspective. Not only because of the obvious enormity of these trees in California, but also because it reflects how I think everyday.

I call the day-to-day grind a life-tornado. When you’re in the middle of it all, you can’t possibly have perspective. There are flying debris, blinding dust storms of problems that must be solved yesterday, and sometimes pieces of your barn that is being destroyed comes along and kicks you in the ass.

How do you rise above the storm to see the blue sky and sun? Well, if you find the answer, bottle it, patent it, and hide from relatives that will want money, because you would be the wealthiest person on the planet; at least by monetary standards anyway.

It would like nice to think that I can rise above every now and then and take a 50,000-foot view (sorry to use a BS business cliché). Some people do have that ability. I have never heard of, nor seen a person that actually can do both well. Either they are totally narcissistic and can only see from the 9.4696969-foot mile view. (yes that equals 50,000 ft), or they are like most of us and sit in the storm everyday just trying to make it long enough to see the eye of the storm for a bit of peace and a rest, or to make it through and get to the calmness that awaits us.

Is there really such a thing as the promised calmness on the other side of the storm? Is the idea of that awaiting serenity, is actually a part of the narcissist’s way of keeping us from wondering what it’s like to be happy with ourselves and know that our life doesn’t have to revolve around making them more money, feel better about themselves, or fill the love-void they have with ours until we are totally depleted and they move on?

I’m no conspiracy theorist that thinks there is some secret meeting spot where these issues are discussed, but I do think it is possible that many people do it without realizing. I have worked for and been fiends with a few of really big ones. I honestly don’t think they realize that use people as commodities, for both business and personal benefits, and then cast them aside in a heap of confusion wondering what they did wrong.

I take it as my responsibility to smell the stench they give off, which is usually masked by some heavy charm and charisma, and push them away. That is what I consider perspective. Not only being able to see “the big picture” (sorry for another motivational poster cliché you see hanging in your boss’s office), but to see that there are people in the world that I don’t have to associate with, or have to feel the need to please, or even recognize as existing. I only need to look up and see the blue skies, treetops, and beauty that is all around, and not just the storms of life that we allow ourselves to be sucked into.