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  • July 12, 2025

The Bigger Picture

May 26, 2008 by Karen Swim

by Karen D. Swim

"I have seen the bigger picture and I can’t do everything and have everything. "– Dr. Miranda Bailey, Grey’s Anatomy

The Bigger Picture does not always come into focus all at once. Very often we only see fragments at at time. The pieces do not fall into focus until we take a step back and examine them with our attention on the whole rather than the detail that makes up the whole.

We can become so enmeshed in the detail that we no longer notice each piece until we are so worn out and worn down they shatter around us. The pieces were never meant to be the focus, yet we become obsessed with the minutiae and lose sight.

To focus on the bigger picture we sometimes have to let individual pieces go. The process can be painful, as we realize that sometimes we must let go of things we love for things we love more.

So what is the bigger picture? Although your picture may vary, we all share five common traits.

  1. Time is finite. All of us are given the same 24 hours each day. No one can bargain, pay, or earn more time.
  2. We are mortal. Our time on earth will one day end.  We do not have forever but we do have today. 
  3. We are human. We cannot do everything and have everything. We try but something will always suffer.
  4. We don’t need all the pieces to see the bigger picture. The pieces may change over time.  Some may move to the far end of the board as others take center stage. The big picture dictates the pieces you bring into focus not the other way around.
  5. There’s always a bigger picture. Always.

After losing my husband, I struggled with my bigger picture.  Marriage made it easier to stay focused, balanced. It was an anchor of sorts that kept me from drifting too far. As a widow, I took on every piece that came my way without any focus on the bigger picture. 

Life changes – children growing older, job changes or just the process of aging and wanting something different – may shift our bigger picture. Those same changes can also serve to remind us of the bigger picture.

As for my own journey, I learned that my purpose in life really did not change. The core of who I was created to be, do and give to the world is not dependent on a single piece.  With the death of my husband, my pieces shifted but the bigger picture remained intact.

How about you? Do you ever lose site of the bigger picture or purpose? Tell us about it in the comments and anything else that’s on your mind.

Filed Under: Inspiration, Inspiration for Business

Above the Noise

May 20, 2008 by Karen Swim

by Karen D. Swim

Are you struggling to be heard in a noisy market place? Do you feel like even if you yelled at the top of your lungs no one would notice or care? It may be time to sing at night.

In 2007 a report found that birds in noisy urban areas began singing at night in order for their melodies to be heard above the clamor of city life. Researchers at Sheffield University studied robins in and around Sheffield and discovered that the robins adapted the time of day they sang in order to be heard. The report joins a growing body of evidence that birds are changing their behavior to adjust to modern life.

Our world is noisy. In every industry there are a multitude of choices and it seems everyone is delivering their message and attempting to be heard. Whether you have a blog, book, product, service or are in the job market it seems that millions of people are already out there singing at the top of your lungs.

The robins are not singing to attract or please people. Robins sing to attract other robins and to ward off rivals. In the bird world they are among the earliest to join the chorus at dawn and the last to fall silent at dusk.

“Be like the bird that, pausing in her flight awhile on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing that she hath wings.”–Victor Hugo

It can be downright discouraging believing that you cannot possibly be heard above the noise. Rather than give up, consider the robins. You don’t have to sing your song at the same time of day or even in the same pitch as your competitors. Adapt to modern life just like the birds by finding and singing your own tune at your own time.

Photo credit: Flickr.com | Kerri 2008

Filed Under: Inspiration for Business, Marketing

Ease On Down the Road

May 13, 2008 by Karen Swim

by Karen D. Swim

All this month we’ve been talking about moving forward. Last night as I reviewed the events of the day I found myself singing “Ease on Down the Road” from The Wiz. I have not thought of or heard the song in a number of years but it is a happy song and a great road tune.

Unlike the characters in the Wiz, at the end of our road there is something far better than the Wizard. Put on your dancing shoes or if you’re like Brett Legree, go barefoot and sing along as you dance on down the road to your destiny!

Do you have a song that gets you moving down the road?

Filed Under: Inspiration, Inspiration for Business

Before You Move Forward, Clean House!

May 12, 2008 by Karen Swim

by Karen D. SwimI have been planning a blog move for a couple of months now. Planning to move my blog has not been unlike planning to move from your home. I have had to view potential new homes (blog platforms), put in offers (for domain names), manage financial details, research and hire professionals to help me move. Finally, before physically boxing up my belongings, I have had to evaluate what is truly important.

No one wants to pack up unnecessary junk and take it into a bright shiny new place, yet so often we are unable to let go of things we no longer need. I had cleared away some things but still had items, which I was not sure if I should keep or let go. This past weekend Amy Palko and Joanna Young swept in like the crew from the show “Clean House” and helped me sort the trash from the treasure.

A move forces you to reevaluate your possessions in a new light. You only want to spend time packing and bubble wrapping the things you really want and need. Books, bobbles, furniture and clothing that filled your home suddenly seem better suited to donate to charity or simply throw out.

Moving forward can feel labored and difficult when you are carrying boxes filled with things you no longer need. It is difficult but essential to retire those things, which have outlived their usefulness. We must also clear out the emotional and mental clutter. We leave behind old attitudes and thoughts as we pack up the moving fan and relocate.

Moving is hard work but becomes harder when we over pack. Taking the time to clear away the junk is well worth the effort. When you do the hard work in advance you can then move forward to your new destination with confidence knowing that you’re only taking what you need and nothing more.

As you move forward this month, are you holding on to things that you no longer need? What is preventing you from letting go?

Photo Credit: gesika22 | Flickr.com

Filed Under: Inspiration for Business

Strap on Your Heels and Take a Step Toward Your Dreams

May 9, 2008 by Karen Swim

by Karen D. SwimImage courtesy of JimmyChoo.com Eliza Petrol Patent Peep Toe

“The journey of a thousand leagues begins from beneath your feet.”– Lao Tzu

We have reached the end of the week which means it is Fierce Friday! What have you done to make your dreams happen this week? It does not matter if your dream is one mile or ten thousand miles away, you will never get there if you don’t move. As you look out over the horizon you may be overwhelmed by the number of miles that must be covered. So quit looking over the horizon. No matter how much you look and agonize about what has to be done, you still have to move to get there. The journey begins from beneath your feet.

Yesterday Timothy Carter wrote that today is the time for action. Not tomorrow, or next week, but today. Today, you can take a single step. That single step will empower you to take another and another and soon your single steps will bring you to your destination. The first step can be the scariest but also the most powerful. When you take that first step you own your dream. Feel the power baby you are making it happen! It is not a pipe dream but a vision and you have taken the first step of your jouney.

When we are sure that we are on the right road there is no need to plan our journey too far ahead. No need to burden ourselves with doubts and fears as to the obstacles that may bar our progress. We cannot take more than one step at a time.–Orison Swett Marden

Jen Knoedl took a step and rocked the house! Read about it here. She could have given herself a thousand reasons why her dream was impossible but instead she moved. Erica Ortiz is passionate about her dream of racing Top Fuel. She needs money to make her dream happen but she has not let it hold her back. One tip at a time she is moving toward her dream. You can help Erica by making a donation. Single steps will get Erica to her donation, and they will get you there too.

Erica would probably tell you that you can’t race if you don’t get in the car. So get in the car already and start your engine. Better yet, get in the car in a fierce pair of heels. We’ll meet you at the finish line waving the flag in your honor. I’ll be the one holding the lip gloss.

What are you waiting for? What’s holding you back?

Filed Under: Inspiration for Business

Forward Momentum Begins With Standng Firm

May 7, 2008 by Karen Swim

by Karen D. Swim
Photo Credit: Kimba, Flickr

As the mighty winds blew and the rains beat down, a Father grabbed his young daughter and stood her in the doorway in the hall. With his hand upon her trembling shoulder he looked into her eyes and said, “Daddy has to leave but I want you to stand right here. Do not move, no matter what happens. Her little heart beat faster as she drew strength from her Father’s voice. Nodding her head, she squared her shoulders and stood.

Through wind and rain she stood. Debris scattered around the house and she stood. The storm finally ended and still she stood. A police officer picked his way through the debris and crossed what had been the threshold of her home. Spotting the little girl, his eyes grew wide, “Honey, how did you survive this storm?” The little girl declared, “My daddy told me to stand right here and not move.”

Before we can move forward toward our goals we must be able to firmly stand our ground. Like the little girl, we have to find that place where we can stand with confidence when the winds are raging and the rain is beating on our roof. We must stand when the voices within and around us try to move us to the left or to the right. You don’t have the credentials to do that. That sounds risky, are you sure you aren’t making a mistake. The economy is bad. Be sensible, keep your day job and do this on the side. Yeah, you know the voices. The well-meaning friends who want the best for you. The colleagues who are just trying to spare you from making the biggest mistake of your life. Your own fears, doubts and insecurities. But, before you can move forward you have to learn to stand.

When I got the idea to start my business, I was newly widowed and broke. We had lived off our savings for 3 1/2 years while I stayed planted by my husband’s side. After my husband’s death, I briefly took a job but volunteered to be laid off when the company needed to cut back. Jobless and sorely in need of cash I devoured books from the library on starting a business. I read, took notes, and wrote plans. I dressed in layers, wrapped up in blankets, ignored my growling tummy and excitedly planned the launch of my business.

I was cold and often hungry but I was certain of my place. I was standing firm while the winds howled outside my door. It was crazy to start a business while mourning the loss of my husband and with no money. Why not just go back to my nice cushy job in Corporate and do this on the side? Yes I could have followed conventional wisdom, but I knew where I was supposed to stand and refused to be moved.

I was neither brave nor stupid, or maybe I was a little of both. I didn’t know how I was going to accomplish my dream. I didn’t even know what direction to head. I did however, know where I was supposed to stand until I had the answers.

I am not advising anyone to take the same route I took. I am simply encouraging you to find a place where doubts and fears (yours and others) cannot huff and puff and blow you down. Look within and find that place that you need to stand and then stand firmly. When you do take that step forward, your legs may still wobble but the ground beneath you will not be moved.

What about you? Are you standing firm or being tossed around? What is keeping you from moving forward?

Filed Under: Inspiration, Inspiration for Business

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