A Capital View

Always remember the bigger picture, to avoid those all too frequent entrapments that were almost designed to distract us, and all too often do.

At this time of year, it only seems natural to take an overview on our lives and the road ahead. To take stock of our trajectory and take a breather. To take in the view and just make sure we are where we wish to be, and look ahead however or whichever way we can, to where we might wish to be.

Seeing the world from a high vantage point not only has a calming effect on us, but it is a highly useful metaphor for rebalancing ourselves, re-centering, and remembering who we are. Its also a good way of pulling our attention away from those ever increasing distractions that we can get caught up in when we forget the more important view on the world and life. It puts things into perspective.

Whether you are on top of a mountain, or at a high vantage point looking out from an elevated floor in one of those ever increasingly record breaking skyscrapers, that view that puts you on top of the world also gives us that happy feeling, where all our worries and troubles shrink to disappearing point. And that’s a good thing. For we can get so caught up in so many distractions that seem terribly important at the time, but can sap our energy and take away our thirst for life.

Depression

I have never suffered from depression as such, but like most all of us, have suffered low points and a general malaise, especially when I was a young man, when my long bouts of thinking marathons would end in a downward spiral. These days I am more able to direct my thinking more usefully and positively so it becomes an upward spiral. But after some time suffering from those lows, I decided this wasn’t good enough, and imagined looking down on the Earth from afar, out in space. It had the desired effect of lifting me out of a rut which seemed chronic and inescapable, and lifted my spirits to the point that I simply enjoyed the view, appreciated was we have, and became what I now see as my natural balanced self.

Entrapments & Distractions

Its a simple, effective and fast way to snap out of those little entrapments that seem oh so big and unavoidable at the time. Until you just lift your awareness out and away from those woes, no matter how important the immersive issue seems at the time.

Of course, you could always make a visit to that mountain, or that high building like The Shard in London (pictured). However, we do have that oh so cheap, efficient and simple thing called imagination that will surely put us right, if we allow ourselves that freedom to indulge when the need arises. For we can’t always see the wood for the trees when we are so close to the subject as they say. The elevated view does have its high advantages. We just need to remember this.

Happy New Elevated You Year!

Paul Heaney, January 2023