Welcome the Details

It is easy to get lost in the details. 

It is equally easy to overlook the details. 

I tend to be guilty of the latter. I love to immerse myself in the big picture, grappling with seeing the connections of various macro pieces. 

The choice to embrace the big picture is not necessarily bad, but my past hostility towards the details was. 

By mistakingly believing that the details take care of themselves if the large, guiding vision was in place, has led to countless painful lessons. 

As a big picture thinker, I have to make the intentional choice to surround myself with those who obsess about the details. During planning sessions I must carve out time to dig into the weeds and allow space for our detail-oriented thinkers to play. 

A powerful reminder struck me when I visited the Drexel University Museum of Natural History in Philadelphia, PA. 

While there, we visited the diorama displays that illustrated the various ecosystems and animals that fill our earth. The dioramas were breathtaking. It felt as if the scenes were alive. 

As we continued through the museum we came to a diorama that was closed. We could see two artists working away inside. 

One was delicately coloring a mound of what appeared to be thousands of small sticks. These would be scattered across the floor of the diorama. The other artist was coloring the edges of the tree in the diorama foreground. 

I was astonished at the level of detail they were taking, but quickly realized it was through the details that the scenes felt so real…so alive…so spectacular.      

As we plan for another great year for our FFA District and local Agricultural Education program I have made the intentional choice to Welcome the Details.