Missing the Forest for the Trees

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Lately I've been reminded of something I talk about often but apparently still need reminders of myself:

Perspective matters.

Not because it magically fixes problems.

Not because gratitude suddenly makes difficult things easy.

But because it's incredibly easy to become so focused on what's missing, what's uncertain, and what still needs to be done that you completely lose sight of what already exists.

The phrase "missing the forest for the trees" exists for a reason.

And lately I've realized just how easy it is to do exactly that.

Time constraints. Money constraints. Human constraints.

Life has a way of narrowing our focus until all we can see are the problems directly in front of us.

The plans that haven't worked out yet.

The goals we haven't reached yet.

The certainty we wish we had but don't.

And honestly?

That's understandable.

It's human.

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Something I had forgotten over the last few months is that faith isn't necessarily about jumping off a cliff and hoping a net appears.

In some instances, a leap of faith is warranted because a plan simply isn't possible. There are moments where certainty isn't available and the decision becomes less about guarantees and more about weighing the risk of staying where you are against the possibility of something different.

Sometimes the question becomes:

What happens if I do nothing?

And what happens if I take the leap?

For me faith can look like making a plan for the possibility that there isn't a net while still praying for it to appear.

Then taking the next step anyway.

Building the planks of the bridge — maybe not wide enough to bear a load but at least wide enough for me to walk on. Then the rest of the bridge can be built as I go.

Starting the ball rolling in a direction even when I don't know exactly how things will unfold.

And more often than not that's when the divine seems to meet me halfway.

Not before I move.

As I move.

Not because everything magically works out.

But because sometimes movement creates opportunities that standing still never could.

And maybe that's part of what happens when we're missing the forest for the trees.

We get so focused on what we don't have yet that we forget we've been here before.

Not this exact situation.

But uncertainty.

Change.

Taking risks.

Wondering if things were going to work out.

And somehow we've made it through every version of that we've encountered so far.

Not perfectly.

But we've made it through.

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The thing that brought me back to this recently was remembering where I used to be.

Not where I want to go.

Not what's next.

Not what still needs work.

Where I used to be.

When I was younger, I used to pray that I'd be able to spend time with animals.

I know that sounds simple.

But it mattered to me.

And now I spend time with all kinds of animals.

Different personalities.

Different stories.

Different quirks.

Some of them have taught me more about being present than many humans have.

I also remember wanting the freedom to work for myself.

Not because I thought it would be easy.

I knew it wouldn't be.

If it were easy everyone would do it.

But I knew it matched who I was.

I knew I wanted the freedom to build something of my own.

And here I am.

Is it perfect?

No.

Is it exactly what I imagined?

Also no.

But it's real.

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I think that's why perspective is so important.

Because it's easy to focus on the things we don't have yet.

The plans that haven't come together.

The goals still sitting on the horizon.

The things we're still praying for.

What becomes harder is remembering that many of the things we currently take for granted were once things we desperately wanted.

Things we hoped for.

Things we prayed for.

Things we weren't sure would ever happen.

And once they arrive the period of gratitude often doesn't last very long.

We adapt.

We normalize them.

We move the goalposts.

And suddenly what once felt extraordinary starts feeling ordinary.

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Another reminder I've had recently is that spirituality isn't only found in serious moments.

It's not only found in meditation.

Or prayer.

Or shadow work.

Or personal growth.

Sometimes spirituality looks like laughing.

Actually laughing.

Not the polite laugh.

Not the nervous laugh.

The kind that makes your stomach hurt a little.

The kind that reminds you that life is still happening right now.

And I think laughter gets dismissed more than it should, as silliness or not taking things seriously.

Sometimes there's this idea that if I'm laughing then everything in my life must be perfect.

For me it can also be about finding the funny in the opposite moments. The ones that aren't perfect at all. The ones where you could just as easily cry.

That kind of laughter — the kind that shows up in the middle of the mess — is just as spiritual as anything else.

Maybe that's also why I've written recently about changing capacity and about what happens when everything feels like an emergency.

Because when we're overwhelmed perspective is often one of the first things to go.

When our capacity changes we can lose perspective on what we're still doing well.

When everything feels like an emergency we can lose perspective on what is actually happening versus what we're afraid might happen.

And when we're focused on what we don't have yet we can lose perspective on how far we've already come.

Sometimes laughter, presence, and remembering the bigger picture are what help us find that perspective again.

Because while there is absolutely a time for serious reflection and deep healing work there also comes a point where we can become so immersed in our struggles that we forget we're allowed to enjoy being alive too.

And maybe that's why I find myself learning so much from animals.

They have a way of bringing me back to what is happening right now instead of everything that might happen next.

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One of the things animals keep reminding me of is how naturally they return to the present moment.

They don't spend hours worrying about next month.

They don't replay conversations from five years ago.

They're here.

Now.

And while human beings are obviously able to communicate in more complex ways than other animals I think there's still something valuable in the reminder.

Because no matter how imperfect things are bringing ourselves back to the present moment often changes the experience of them.

Not the circumstances.

The experience.

And sometimes that's enough to take the edge off suffering for a little while.

At least until we forget again.

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Maybe that's why looking back can be so powerful.

Not because we should live in the past.

But because it helps us see the distance we've traveled.

Past me never imagined I'd be writing my 40th blog.

Are they Pulitzer Prize worthy?

Definitely not.

But they're mine.

They're pieces of my inner world shared outwardly.

And there was a time in my life when I never would have had the courage to do that.

That matters.

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I think the lesson I've been sitting with lately is that all of these things can be true at once.

I can be grateful for where I am and still want more.

I can appreciate what I've built and still work toward something bigger.

I can accept where I currently am without judging myself for where I am not yet.

Those ideas don't compete with each other.

They support each other.

And what helps me remember that is reflecting on where I was, what I wanted, what I prayed for, and what I now have.

Not all of it.

Not even close.

I've prayed for a lot of things.

But enough of those prayers have been answered to remind me that progress is happening even when it doesn't always feel like it.

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If you've been feeling stuck lately maybe take a moment to ask yourself:

What do you have today that a past version of you desperately wanted?

You might be surprised by the answer.

And you might discover that you've come farther than you've been giving yourself credit for.

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Author's Note

This was as much a reminder for myself as it was for anyone reading.

Perspective doesn't erase problems.

But it does help me remember that my story is bigger than the chapter I'm currently in.

And sometimes that's enough to help me take the next step forward.

With love,

— Hadija (HigherHeartWarriorChannel)

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