Don’t Let the Bug on Your Windshield Ruin the View

Have you ever been driving down the road on a beautiful sunny day, taking in the scenery, when suddenly—splat!—a bug smashes right into your windshield? Or maybe several bugs?

It’s gross, it’s distracting, and if you stare at it too long, everything else—the rolling hills, the blue sky, even the road ahead—starts to blur. That tiny spot (or spots) takes over your whole field of vision.

It occurred to me that life works the same way.

When we focus all our attention on that frustrating situation, that annoying habit of a coworker, or the stressful part of our day, it’s like staring at bug guts on the windshield. The more we zoom in on it, the more it blocks everything else—the supportive teammates, the opportunities in front of us, the things that are actually going well.

The truth is, the “bugs” aren’t going away. They’re part of driving … and part of life. But we do get to choose where we place our attention. We can either keep obsessing about the splatter or shift our gaze back to the bigger view—the people and moments that bring us joy, gratitude, and energy.

So next time something irritating shows up in your day, ask yourself: Am I staring at the bug, or am I looking at the road ahead?

Because when we stop giving the splatter all the power, the journey becomes a lot more beautiful—and a lot easier to navigate.