Holiday Hustle: Forest For The Trees

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The song definitely highlights the good parts of the holiday hustle, for sure. It IS a grand time, but much to do, yes? Can you see the big holiday picture while wrapping, gifting, singing, eating, receiving, and traveling? Can you see the holiday forest for the trees?

I recently traveled across the United States. I drove by myself for five days from Washington State to North Carolina. It was a huge personal achievement as I’ve done it several times with a person in the car, but never by myself. Needless to say, it was a different experience being the sole caretaker of myself. I loved it, actually. 

While traveling for up to 14 hours a day with just me doing all the talking, I got the opportunity to think and think and think. One of those thoughts came from viewing my dirty windshield. (I’m making a point. I promise. It’ll all tie in together with the holidays and trees!) There was bird poop and smooshed bug guts on my windshield. But, I could still see. It depended on what I was looking at. It depended on my focused line of sight. It depended on what I wanted to see. 

If I was super bored, I looked at the splattered bird poop. Mostly white. Some specks of I don’t know what in the middle. Sorta round, but part of it dripped down. 

Then, the insect inners caught my attention. Greenish. Irregular spots that always seemed to go up the windshield. Some big spots. Some tiny.

The thought occurred to me: What I am choosing to see is what I am seeing. I have choice, and it’s like life! We can get distracted with the poop and guts of life right in front of us, or we can choose to see the big picture. I could easily shift my vision from the road to the windshield and back.

With all the items on our lists that need to be done at this time of the year and at other times, can we shift our vision easily from the big picture to the nitty-gritties of life? After all, bird poop and bug guts are quite interesting to ponder, indeed, especially when traveling several thousands of miles solo. The analyzing took me miles to do, fortunately! 

Enjoy your holiday festivities right now in this moment. In a week, I’ll post a blog about ending 2023 and beginning 2024 ceremoniously so the two years don’t blur into each other. What needs to be left behind and stay put in 2023? Oh I love perspective. It truly is everything.