Look Beyond What You See

Written By Jadon Ward
Evergreen Counselling, Counselling, Counselling BC, Counselling Vernon, Counselling Kelowna, Okanagan Counselling

As a child, I had a problem. You see, I was a big kid, constantly growing. And that meant that I had very little control over my limbs. I was constantly off balance, and seemed to trip at the slightest thing. I came up with a very simple solution – to keep my head trained to the ground. And it worked! This solution became ingrained as a habit, something that continued even after my growth spurt had finished and I was able to walk normally again.

What that meant though, is that regardless of where I was, my vision was trained on my feel. If the environment was marvelous or mundane, the only sights I saw were of cracked concrete or a gravel path. I was so focused on not tripping that I lost sight of the larger work around me.

I became acutely aware of this when I first started dating my wife. For the first time, I was told that I look down too much, that I should walk with my head up (I don’t know why it took that long for someone to point that out!). But what happened was extraordinary.

I remember being on a hike out near Chilliwack, BC. I looked up and all of a sudden was aware of the immense beauty which surrounded me. A picturesque scene which, just moments ago, was completely out of view. Hidden, out of reach. I had been blind to this amazing image, and it was a handicap entirely of my own making.

Sometimes I wonder if this doesn’t happen in other areas of our life. There is an old saying: “Don’t miss the forest for the trees.” This happens when we are so focused on the tree (a specific problem or situation) that we miss the beauty of the forest (life as a whole). This is similar to the “Mental Filter” idea described in psychological literature. The concept, put forward by Burns, is that sometimes we pick out a single negative detail and dwell on that, discounting the many positive features or qualities of life.*

I did this (literally) by focusing on the ground. There are other ways this happens though. We can hold onto a grievance instead of letting go, allowing it to taint our day. We can be focused our desired future to the point we miss what is happening currently. We worry about what might happen, instead of being grateful for the right now.

Today, look beyond your troubles to the great blessings which surround you.

**Burns D. (1989). The Feeling Good Handbook. Harper-Collins Publishers. New York

Jadon Ward, MA, MA, RCC, CCC

Jadon Ward is a Registered Clinical Counsellor at Evergreen Counselling Group. He specializes in working with counselling participants to create a collaborate atmosphere conducive to change. He enjoys working with youth and young adults who are experiencing pressures that come with balancing school and life. He has a wonderful wife in Sarah, and has a passion for working with couples and marriages so they are places of care and strength.

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Evergreen Counselling Group is proud to serve the communities of Kelowna, Vernon, West Kelowna, Lake Country, Armstrong, and the rest of the North Okanagan and Central Okanagan Regional Districts. “We acknowledge that our business is located on the traditional, ancestral, unseeded territory of the Syilx/Okanagan people.”

Jadon Ward
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