big picture little things

See the big picture, enjoy the little things…

“Enjoy the little things” is a quote we are all familiar with. Stopping to smell the roses, savouring that cup of coffee, taking time to watch the world go by and so on. But what is the big picture, you may ask. Well, I guess the short answer is it means different things to different people.

Though more often used in a business setting, it was what jumped out at me while I was staring out at the Grand Canyon. Yes, that magnificent piece of work carved out by nature over eons of time.

As I stood at the edge of the canyon, I could not peel my eyes away from it, wondering how the endless layers of rock possibly came to be. In that instant, all the nuisances that get to me every day, all the little frustrations of life, just seem so trivial in comparison.

We are constantly holed up at our work stations, thumping away at our keyboards, that we forget the greater things at work in this universe. While we are staring at our 13-inch notebook screens (writing this article), Mother Nature is busy shaping the landscape and we are missing it all in action.

When I visited the Rhine Falls, this revelation struck me yet again. This time, I was mesmerised by the journey of the tumbling waters, wondering where all that water came from.

Life’s too short to let trivial frustrations take over our life. Find that big thing that gets you excited, that makes you want to jump out of bed every morning.

What I am trying to say is life’s too short to let trivial frustrations take over our life. Find that big thing that gets you excited, that makes you want to jump out of bed every morning. Something that you can’t wait to get started on, something that occupies your waking thoughts and the only time you reluctantly put it down is to eat and sleep (and maybe a few other necessities). That is the big picture that will get you going every day.

By now you might have guessed that I am quite a visual person. I embrace nature and dig geography. I also love admiring great works of art, building architecture, instrumental music and space, large ones. These are the things that inspire me, and they guide and motivate me towards my eventual (hopefully) dream job, where I would never have to work another day in my life. (Still working on that…)

As I look back on my travels, I wanted to reminisce the places I had been to and the sights I had seen. I also wanted to do justice to some of the great creations that I came across. Some were touristy, yes, but there were many others that were steeped in history, history that we barely had the chance to uncover and appreciate.

So, better late than never, I am writing this travel journal of mine to document my favourite spots, reignite the inspiration I felt then and, of course, to relive the good old globe-trotting days.