An artist has a very interesting way of approaching his painting. He is up close to his canvas applying the brush strokes of his talent and creativity, and then occasionally he steps away from the painting to get a different view. What seems natural and insignificant has a lovely learning if one reflects on it – when we create a distance, we see and understand things better.

Often we are so close to people and things, that our view gets limited by our immediate context, and without realising it, our view often gets myopic. Consciously stepping back and creating a distance regularly can be one of the healthiest things for us, our relationships and our ability to cope with the curve balls life throws at us.

Distance gives us perspective, an ability to view not just what is in front of us, but ability to see the larger picture. When we step back and view our challenges and blessings all together, often the size of the challenge reduces because we put it in context.

It gives us the space we need for ourselves. Not that we are unhappy in a relationship, in fact, things may be going well, but we need to create the conscious space to relook at ourselves and make necessary adjustments. A relationship that does not keep adjusting as two people grow, runs the risk of either fiery conflicts or ice-cold nothingness anymore.

We allow the mind to ideate and innovate. We discover opportunities from a distance that we cannot see from being too close. And often we get a reality check; from a distance, things start looking very different helping us introspect and reconsider many things we may have missed.

Distance keeps us balanced. We often start believing that we were the cause of the success, and before we realise it, we feed our fragile ego. However, when we step back and realise the role of so many around us, we remain grounded, humble, and grateful.

Our attachments can make us sentimental, and our love blinds us to seeing things about those close to us. When we view them objectively from a distance, it does not mean we love them less or are moving away from them. On the contrary, it helps us to be there for them knowing where they truly need us, and it reminds us how to manage the relationship better.

Each one of us has been gifted the canvas of life to apply our brush strokes to create a better life for ourselves and others. And when something is not feeling right, when we are feeling emotionally overwhelmed or intellectually confused, when relationships are getting strained, we just need to learn to create a conscious distance – the picture will reveal itself.

(Picture – Coal Harbour, Vancouver)