Is the Small Stuff Keeping you from the Big Stuff?

Between several meetings this past week, I couldn’t help but think about how much time gets wasted worrying about the little things. There is a saying which suggests, ‘it’s all in the details’ but I think that applies to when we are doing something creative or when the important task at hand requires special attention.

However, I don’t think it applies to when we are so distracted by the things which ultimately don’t apply in the grander scheme of things. There have been so many scenarios where we are distracted by personal vendettas or trying to prove we can do something we were told we can’t. This to me is a severe waste of precious time.

I’ve talked before about how valuable every moment is and how important I think it is to guard our lifestyle. I also think it’s important to note when something is distracting us from realizing our true self and purpose. This is the tricky part. The media, friends, our job and family never seem to be exhausted of steering us into their lifestyle and their purpose. We are not taught to be leaders, we are taught to follow with the flock.

I sincerely believe that each one of us has an important job, lesson or journey which is trying to gain our attention but the problem is that our own calling usually isn’t very boisterous in its approach. The true voice usually comes as an insistent whisper addressing the very depths of our core instead of being broadcast with dazzling lights. That has been my experience anyways.

I believe my true calling has been to reintroduce love and compassion again. I sure can tell you I am not a perfect example of that and I often wonder why the call is so strong, but I suppose even if you aren’t perfect at your calling, you can be a pretty good messenger. The problem I have had with my calling is that it didn’t fit in with two things;

1. My Career Agenda &
2. My Vengeance

I grew up wanting to be in the spotlight. I wanted to act, sing and make music and I do still enjoy those all. The problem was that my ego was not in check and therefore it never flew back then how I wanted it to. It was all about ‘look at me’ instead of regarding music and the arts as a way to either reach out or heal. This agenda was in mass conflict because a higher calling was telling me I needed to do it differently. I didn’t want to listen to that voice because it simply didn’t seem very glamorous.

The other conflict was that my higher calling was not in alignment with all the plans I had to inflict vengeance on those who have done me wrong. I became absolutely obsessed not with attacking back, but proving my worth in certain scenarios. If I wanted to be a superstar and those around me didn’t think I could, it would fuel me to work harder towards becoming that. The problems and conflicts came when the journey to that position showed me things which were contrary to my character and that is when the true battle switched from being ‘me VS them’ to ‘me VS me’. Essentially, the voice inside me became stronger to follow it rather than my other agendas.

Many times within the businesses I am involved in I witness times when our focus gets pulled to seek vengeance or prove our worth. Then, many, many hours and days will get wasted on adding chalk lines onto small victories which end up leaving us farther away from our initial goals. Some of these are based in fear and paranoia and some are based on easy win scenarios that are the equivalent to winning the lottery.

How many times do we do this in our personal lives and relationships? Something our partner says or does pulls us farther away from our calling and all we had to do was stop it in its tracks. ‘Don’t sweat the small stuff’ is a popular saying. My Mom used to say, ‘it’ll all come out in the wash’. Those sayings while true, don’t quite punctuate the point I am trying to make. I am merely suggesting that somewhere the way we allowed something or someone to distract us or trick us into not doing what life wants us to do or is pulling us in the opposite direction of our full potential. Think about how many people spend their time complaining about what the other person is doing and if you were to ask them what they were doing, they would say they were busy complaining about the other guy.

If you had to write down a list of all the things which pull your mind away from the true voice inside of you, could you identify what those are? Is it gossip and bad-mouthing? Is it money? Is it the potential of being famous? Is it keeping up with the Joneses? Is it negativity? Is there something that keeps appealing to your lavish side when a more modest lifestyle is where you are truly needed? I suppose this is what happens when people sell everything and go back-pack in a poor country to help out.

We all have various things which fuel us and I don’t see anything wrong with taking our raw emotions in that particular moment of the day to give us a bit of spark, but I suspect it doesn’t contain the longevity and attention truly required of us to meet our full potential and realize our individual worth.

The small stuff is like the coyote in sheep’s clothing. It often comes to us in the form of excess which could be an oxymoron. It seems like it should have our attention when underneath, it’s very dangerous for us to be concentrating on it. The truly bigger stuff is often like a bunny rabbit nibbling away in the corner patiently waiting for us. We don’t understand that is the more important place to be because it seems to be too calm.

I thought it was interesting that this is the year of the Rabbit. ;) Maybe everything is finally aligning to be gentler all the way around.

I feel the urge to go read some Beatrix Potter now,

Karen :)

“It is said that the effect of eating too much lettuce is ‘soporific’.”