Forest

One weekend a few years back, when I was in France on business, a buddy and I bought some food from a street vendor, packed it in the car, and drove about a half hour west of Clermont-Ferrand. We drove up a scenic road into the hills, and ate lunch at a picnic shelter in a large wooded area. The road sign said we were in a "foret" (forest), similar to what we would call a "National Park".

Some of the French guys I worked with pointed out that forests are rare in France, since most of their land is farmed. When the French visit the USA, they are absolutely amazed about how much wooded land we have. As I flew home that week, I looked down out of the airplane window, and could see a couple lone "forests" here and there, mixed in amongst acres and acres of brown and amber farmland.

What I experienced that week was the literal version of the old saying, "Can't see the forest for the trees." When you are in the woods, all you see is a bunch of individual trees, stretching as far as the eye can see. Its not until you move back, way back, that you can see the size and shape of the forest.

In life, the ability to see the "forest", i.e. the big picture, is considered a valuable skill. In business, particularly, we pay big bucks to people who are able to step back and consider the whole, not just the sum of the parts. Economic analysts, political strategists, and retirement planners are all examples of jobs where this ability is crucial.

In my own job, I have improved in this skill over the years. When I hired on at Michelin as a 21-year old mechanical engineer, I was given smaller tasks and projects to accomplish. As the years progressed, I have been given greater responsibilities, which require greater vision. In my role now, I must oversee portfolios of projects, ensuring that all move forward to accomplish a larger business objective. In short, my job is to see the big picture.

In so many areas of our lives, we recognize the wisdom of considering the whole, the big picture, the long-term vision. When we raise our kids, we try and make decisions based on what is best for them in the long run. When we save for retirement, we invest our money in mutual funds that have the best overall performance, the best long-term outlook.

Although most of us are making smart choices in these areas of our lives, many times we fail to ponder the "even bigger picture." We plan our lives to a certain extent: do well in high school, get into a big-name college, get a job at a good company, get promoted, live a big lifestyle, sock a lot away for retirement, retire in style, enjoy our golden years.

Well, then what?

How many of us, in the busy day-to-day activity, stop and consider what comes after this life? Do we think about why we are here, where we came from, where we are going, if there is an afterlife? Does God exist? If so, is He the God of the Bible? Was Jesus Christ a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord?

Some folks have studied and pondered these questions and have concluded that there is no afterlife, or that they don't believe in God. I would strongly disagree with them, but at least they have spent some time considering these major issues. But so many, it seems, go through life without stopping and reflecting.

A hundred years from now, our diplomas, portfolios, retirement activities won't matter a bit. What will matter are the answers we found to the important questions.

If you haven't done so lately, why not take some time to get up above the trees and look at "the big picture"?