Did you notice the incredible full moon last week? Especially at its rising and setting, the moon, at least as seen from here in Kansas City, loomed very large and clear.
Its magnificent size, however, is an optical illusion. It's caused by our human inability to visually process the moon's size accurately relative to its distance from us. Against objects in the foreground we see the moon as much larger than when it's over head. Cut out the distraction of the foreground with our hands, and the moon appears no bigger than when it's high above us.
This phenomenon isn't unique to large objects in the sky with us humans. It's frequently applicable to how we view life's challenges. As potentially major issues appear on the horizons of our lives, we see them relative to near term pressures and concerns in the foreground. In this position, problems can seem unbelievably large and clear, even when they are in reality much smaller.
When you're facing a situation such as this, strategic thinking approaches can help eliminate the foreground issues of our lives. A strategic perspective places us in a much better position to view potential challenges realistically and with a creative problem solving strategy. - Mike Brown
