The Bigger Picture to the Finest Details

I find it particularly interesting how the world works in a form of ways that is indescribable -especially regarding to how we work as individuals contributing to just about anything. I've realised this kind of perspective a few months ago and it has changed a bit of how I understand someone/something in depth.

I was involved in a community service program where painting two classes were compulsory based on our choices. From the dirty walls all scraped off, painted with the original colours as requested by the school. I neglected a lot of people's work in painting houses, buildings -I'd assume to make it realistically clean was easy. It took hours to cover the wall and there were still spots that frustrated me each time I'd step back to look at the overall progress. And when it did actually turn out what we wanted, it was already 3 days and it didn't contribute to anything outside the classroom doors.

I'd come to a point thinking 'so much for the hard work, it didn't seem obvious at all'. 

I thought to myself that acquiring this specific set of details require patience, persistency and low expectations of difference. I have no possession of patience in the finest details at times that a lot of work had been either abandoned or left to look as it is. This is also a reason why I refuse to take baking for example, as a career because it is dreadfully a long tiring process.

This also reminded me the time I was responsible for the props on setting up a museum exhibition using collected samples from University of Malaya. Whilst everyone was focused on the little fine details such as the descriptions, arrangements on the table and labels, I was keen to create more spark using long strands of ribbons, newspapers, picked leaves etc. I'd climb up ladders (nah, actually the guys helped me a lot on this) and made sure at least, the hall looked decorated overall. In my perspective, there was no use having the samples when the hall didn't look attractive for people to enter. I was only satisfied when it looked presentable in a one glance. However, the my friends didn't see it that way. They made sure everything was fully equipped for the visitors to read.

These situations -and many more, makes me think in a roughly manner of people's inner strength. It takes a man's soft skills to master this. As I would drive around in the streets of Kuala Lumpur I'd often look at the constructions, the roads, the designs and colours of choice for respective buildings, even the ad board. Do these little things actually make a difference?

If you were given an opportunity to repaint a whole village brand new, estimate the range of how you would be satisfied with the end result. A house, the interior etc will take minimum 3 days. Given with the area, how satisfied are you and how long will you exactly be able to reach to your goal? The longer you take, the more dissatisfied you are -the lower your productivity and hence, your self-esteem.

These things we neglect in real life, they're driven by someone's motivation to make it perfect despite the odds of only contributing averagely 0.3% of the place. Constructionists, spending years to build MRTs, the Exchange 106 TRX tower, had the patience and strength to accomplish them. Cleaners had the patience to sweep the floors of mess created by pedestrians. Teachers have patience educating their students despite seeing slow or no progress in their examinations. Artists creating 3 years of painting with full specificity and even the stop-motion artists never gave up although each minute shot required 100 takes of screening. Palestinians or refugees risking their lives performing a march against the zionists although it may won't have an immediate impact and result in death.

The point is, we should understand all of us are here for a reason and we play a role in affecting our surrounding. Doesn't matter if you are an introverted person, your creativity, skills will always find a way to be displayed to the world. Once I had this thinking, I felt more humble. Because sometimes we as individuals may be too timid, or in a rush complaining why our success never arrives when we expect it to.

It has thought me the power of patience, the aspect of motivation drive and the consistency in reaching to your goal. Because everything works according to God's plans, but our actions tho may seem the slightest, will bring us closer to our goals then expected. xoxo.