Perspective

Sometimes - when you're down in the trenches - you can't really see what's going on. All you can do is follow orders, keep your head down, do your job to the best of your abilities, and try to stay alive. You have to trust the people above you - the ones who give the orders. You have to believe that they know what they are doing. You have to believe that they understand the big picture; that the orders they give will advance you toward your goal. But what do you do when those orders call for your sacrifice? What if their objective has no merit? What if it runs counter to your own convictions? How can you gain any perspective when you spend all of your time down in the trenches?

Sometimes ... yes sometimes you just have to stop! You have to take some time to rest. You have to climb up out of the trenches, hike to the top of the mountain, look out over the fields, and decide for yourself if the objective has any merit. You can't rely on the people above you; you need to verify the situation for yourself. Only you can decide, "Shall I go back down into the trenches and continue the fight, or should I turn my life in a new direction."

Sometimes the view from the mountain will be hazy; your vision will be less than clear. But the view from the top will be better than the view from the trenches - and a lot safer too. Make sure you take some time now and then to look at the big picture; make sure you can trust the judgment of the people that you follow; and make sure that the goal you're pursuing is one you believe in. Then - if you choose - crawl back into the trenches and fight the good fight. The strength of your convictions will see you through.