The ability to see the big picture; to see how all the parts fit together and make a whole.
I’ve always been fascinated by information. My number one strength is input, which allows me to take in a plethora of data, and let it soak into my mind. I love to see how all parts fit together to make the whole. To me, that is the big picture. That is Symphony.
People want meaning. We desire purpose. We were created to shape our own destiny.
There once was a time, where the work we did was highly localized. An agrarian society demanded that people be present at all times, working with their hands to grow food that would feed themselves, their families, and their community. As society progressed we found new, more efficient ways of doing things that would alter the course of the world, technology and culture.
Symphony, by definition, is the composition of different elements that make up a favorable whole. I call it ‘connecting the dots.’ As a function of my Strength of Strategic; I always tend to notice the cause-effect and ‘if-then’ makeup of our world. I take the information I have input, then synthesize it to be put to use in crafting the best way forward towards a logical, feasible conclusion that will yield the best results, regardless of the present predicament.
A great example of this is Petra. Once an ancient stronghold of the Nabatean Arab people of southern Jordan; it is now a huge tourist attraction — And considered one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. An impressive sight, it stands tall in a narrow valley of rose-colored sandstone, leftover from the era of land-based trade routes through the deserts of Arabia. The Nabateans were skilled craftsmen, and designed their city specifically to retain water in a man-made oasis, in case of drought.
Despite their precarious location,these desert-dwelling nomads managed to harness the power of innovation and attention to detail, that allowed this desert city to become home to 20,000 people at its height; and serve as a hub to the greater region.
Just as the Nabateans saw the big picture of their role in the ancient Near East; we too, must notice the the time and place we live in, reflect, and adjust accordingly to thrive into the future.
To develop the Symphony in your own life, start by asking these questions:
- What noticeable things do I see happening in my local area, my country, and in the world?
- Are these isolated events, or part of a larger, grander trend emerging?
- Based on the answers to 1 & 2; what is the “best way forward” in this situation?
By refusing to treat happenings as mere isolated incidents, we can begin to develop a knack for recognizing the Symphony that exists in the world around us all.
