The Big Picture

A high school student struggling to finish their college essays, while working hard to be a sports star for a scholarship is told, “look at the big picture, it will all be worth it when you have a college scholarship.” A college student, struggling with loads of homework and lack of sleep, constantly stressed, is told “look at the big picture, it will be worth it when you get a good job and have money.” A businessman, never home to see his kids, always working is told “look at the big picture, it will be worth it when your kids can pay for college.” I am curious if we ever reach this “big picture”, or if we are simply stuck staring at it our whole life, as if it is some imaginary land where everything is perfect and happy, there is no stress, and we have everything we need. It seems when we reach the next step or part of this “big picture”, it just grows bigger and bigger and further away.

As humans, students, parents, and members of our society we are obsessed with this big picture. We love to dream and fantasize about how life will be one day. We are forced to think if we struggle in the moment than it will all be worth it, if we miss out on our current life and existence, it is alright because we are enhancing our big life picture. Now in some cases this may be true, hard work pays off into great success. Working for something you are passionate about is not the same as struggling and hating what you’re doing, while in the mindset of one day reaching a magical, happy land.

Often, once we get to what we once thought was that big picture, we are still unhappy, wanting more, wanting that picture to be better. That is where the struggle continues, and we are no longer painting our life picture, but staring at it with dissatisfaction as if it is missing something, or it is just not good enough. Just think, if each day we added something small to our canvas, something small and positive that makes us truly happy. In a short amount of time the picture will create its own beauty put there by you. You can create a beautiful big picture with your own two hands out of love and passion, rather than waiting for it to become something that you have been endlessly struggling to catch up to.

Each and every day we are living in this big picture-- our big picture. We only get one canvas, and this paint is permanent. Don’t let that scare you though. Every great artist makes mistakes, and that’s what gives the artwork character, and maybe sparks a new idea for the picture. We are always painting our picture, and sooner than later a masterpiece of life is created, with no room for dissatisfaction. It is time to stop chasing the big picture and start painting it. You hold the brush, and you paint the picture, no one else. Society has a picture, almost like a coloring book, where we are expected to color in the lines, as everyone else does and our pictures will look perfectly similar, and neatly done. But in our lives, there is not enough time to stay between the lines. So paint your picture as if it is the last thing you will ever see when you leave this earth, a picture you have created by love, to live.