Taking a geographic

In the twelve-step rooms (such as AA) they talk about "taking a geographic." What they mean by that is the addicted person might mistakenly believe that by moving to a new home or city and starting over, he can leave his troubles behind. In general, taking a geographic is viewed as detrimental to recovery.

But there's a flip side to taking a geographic, a more positive one. You can take a mental geographic to get your perspective back.

Less often than we'd like, my husband and I take a trip to our local Barnes and Noble. We find a cute little cafe table for two, and just talk.

Something about the bookstore gives us a worldly feel, nearly as good as the perspective one often gains from taking a real trip to a foreign land.

As I packed for a trip recently, I thought of how helpful it can be to get a bird's eye perspective.

Often, when I'm getting into one of my fits of anxiety over my children's safety or something that's not right in their schools, I just remember the bigger picture: twenty years ago, all I wanted out of life was a hubby and a family. That's the bigger picture, and I remember that my dreams have indeed come true. Is everything perfect in my life? Of course not. But the bigger picture is more aligned with reality than the annoying day-to-day details.

There's nothing like a little mental geographic to get our perspectives back. Take a mental geographic today. Get a bird's eye view of your life.

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