Keeping Conscious; Staying Grounded in a Busy World

I found this great "List". Even those who know me well don't know how addicted I am to "lists" and calendars. My favorite two things. I love making lists, and I love organizing my day to day on a calendar. I have a lot to juggle so I need my organization tools, but being the Queen of organization does not have to be my goal, so to speak.
But, this particular list (courtesy Daily Om) reminds me to be conscious every day. It is one of the best lists I have ever seen, and I keep a tattered copy on my refrigerator. I can't believe I have not shared it before now. Staying Grounded in a Busy World gives detailed insight on how to live in the moment. I use it as a directive for staying on path...the path to consciously keep all the good aligned in regards to being me.
I would love to take a point a day and speak on how each of these affects everyone everyday, and how important all these points are, not just to me, but to you.
And you.
And you.
But, today I just want to discuss point # 7. Number 7 is, "See the larger picture" - the way I choose to live is not the only way to live. I have to remind myself everyday that just because that's not how I would do something (the best way), doesn't mean it won't be effective for someone else. In raising children, this is probably one of the foremost important things to teach: just because you want something done a certain way does not make it so. Just because you were taught how to do something one way, does not mean someone else cannot do it just as effectively another way.

photo courtesy realmenministry.com

Many paths lead to God.
Just as children argue over little things because each wants it done their way, adults fight over larger issues for the same reason. My way.
I try to see the larger picture in everything I do lately.
In contemplating moving to a new city, I weigh heavily the pros and cons of the move, short term move and long term; housing prices, safety and education for my little one, the future cost of education for my teen, the future of my career - all of these things branch out from the simple question, should I move closer to the ocean and beach to maintain my sanity right now?
In any relationship, their are compromises and disagreements. Points of view which have to be taken into consideration to maintain camaraderie and build solidarity. In my last relationship I tried to see the bigger picture and look at the possibility and the future of the relationship, not just the history and the flaws. I could not get past my expectations of what is required in any relationship to make the picture big enough. I was reminded that there is a big picture. A picture bigger than I.

I do research. I do travel. I do discuss.
In theory I should be living the big picture. In reality I am human and I live how I know, hoping to gain insights and learn along the way.
We choose our paths, ride out the conflicts of life, answer the questions the best we can, and we move forward with the knowledge that the picture will always be bigger then we can ever see. That in fact is growth and learning and hopefully... keeping conscious.