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The blueish-green haze of the microwave clock.  The Bath and Body Works Wall Flower night light in the bathroom.  The street light out in front of my neighbor’s house.  The solar lights in the front of my house.  And, finally, the moonlight streaming in through the windows.  All of this combining, in the middle of the night, to give me the illusion of sight.  As I walk across my house to the kitchen to get a drink.

I say illusion because yes, I can see where I’m going.  I won’t run into any walls or stub my toe on a piece of furniture.  I can see good enough, to get from my bed to the kitchen and back. 

Yet, I can’t make out any details.  I can’t see the subtle differences in the colors of the throw pillows on the couch.  I can’t read the words on the cover of a magazine, sitting on the kitchen counter.  And I don’t know if the dark spot on the floor in front of me is one of my dog’s toys or a mouse frozen in fear.  Yes, I will make it safely across the house, to the kitchen and back.  Yet, I won’t see the fullness of everything that’s around me on this journey. 

I don’t need to turn on any lights for this nighttime task.  I can successfully accomplish my goal of getting a drink, in the middle of the night, without being able to see everything.  In this moment, good is good enough; as it pertains to being able to see as I walk through the house.

My goal isn’t to admire the subtle differences in the colors of the throw pillows on the couch. And to see how those colors bring out the sea turtles in the painting above the couch.  My goal isn’t to read the magazine.  And learn about all that is happening back at my alma mater.  And my goal isn’t to determine whether or not my dog left behind a toy in the living room.  My goal is to quench my thirst and get back to bed, posthaste.  Thus, I don’t really care that I can’t see any of those details, as I walk across my house in the middle of the night.   

My goal directly impacted my perspective of what was important and what wasn’t important in that moment.  This truth not only applies to this specific scenario, but to every scenario in my life.  My goals will always impact my perspectives.  And my perspectives will always influence what I deem to be essential as well as non-essential, in any given situation.

Were my eyes open as I walked across the house?  Of course, they were.  Was I seeing everything in the house?  Of course, I wasn’t.  And I didn’t care that I wasn’t seeing everything in the house.  For I didn’t need to see everything in the house, in order to achieve my goal.

All of this made me think about how many times I’ve walked through my life, goals in mind, perspectives aligned, and I missed everything that was around me. Yes, I made it from point A to point B, but I missed the journey.  I didn’t see the details of the life around me.  I achieved my goal, but I didn’t fully appreciate the journey that led me to the accomplishment of my goal. 

There’s nothing wrong with being goal oriented.  There’s nothing wrong with getting from point A to point B.  Yet, I invite you to consider the journey.  To open your eyes to the details all around you, as you get from point A to point B. 

Don’t lose your goals.  Just allow your perspective to be transformed in the pursuit of your goals.  Open your eyes so that you can see glimpses of the truth, the love, the power, the awe, the wonder and the others that are all around you.  For all of that and so much more is present, as you are busy getting from point A to point B.