“It doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you'll understand that.” –“Casablanca”
* * *
This famous photo, called “The Blue Marble,” was taken on Dec. 7, 1972, by the crew of the Apollo 17 spacecraft from 28,000 miles out in space. It’s become so familiar that we forget that before that, we really didn’t know what our world looked like from another vantage point. As my mother would say, this photo “puts things in perspective.”
When we’re depressed or anxious, we’re bound to see our problems as massive and insurmountable. A messy house means we are a horrible mother. A sharp word from a spouse means an impending divorce. A bit of criticism from the boss means we’re about to get fired. And so our bodies and minds react as if the worst is about to happen – or has happened already.
Many of us ARE dealing with truly significant problems in our lives – abuse, death of a loved one, a lost job, financial devastation. And these things are not trivial. The trick is to separate the trivial from the significant. The next time you face a problem, think of “The Blue Marble.” Can you see your problem from there? If you can, seek help. If you can’t, let it drift off into space.
No comments:
Post a Comment