Lessons from a Fly

Sometimes we are so focused on the big picture that we forget that the big picture is made up of thousands of tiny brush strokes, each one contributing to the whole.  This morning I got a reminder of that, albeit in a strange way.

Yesterday a fly somehow got into the house, a fly of considerable size.  He was buzzing around my office and bothering me as I was working.  I opened the sliding door hoping that he would fly out.  No such luck.  This morning there he was again, perched on the sliding door facing the outside.  Once again I opened the door and hoped he would leave.  This time he flew through the opening and right out into the pouring rain.  Two seconds later he was perched back on the sliding door, this time facing in.  Maybe it was the early morning hour but I imagined him to be rather mournful that his wish had been granted--he wanted a do-over.

All kinds of platitudes came to mind in watching him, but the one that stuck was "Be careful of what you wish for--you just might get it."  Sometimes we are so focused on attaining a particular goal that we forget to ask ourselves the important questions, such as is this goal really going to be the best for me in the long run and what are the costs, if any, if I attain that goal.   My fly was clearly not happy with what he had wished for.  Tough luck fella.  Risk assessment has to come before action, not after it. 

Note for a rainy Monday morning: even a fly can teach us things, remind us of things we need to know and remember.