Problems, perspective and bigger problems

I was running through some of the memorable moments of 'Fight Club' (the movie) yesterday night and saw something which I immediately identified with. It hadn't made much sense the first time I saw it.

Narrator: After fighting, everything else in your life got the volume turned down.

I haven't been in many fights. Nor am I a proponent of fighting. The message I got yesterday was that if your mind is focused on one big thing, you handle the rest of the stuff in your life without really noticing them. You might be moving mountains without even noticing it, because your mind is focused on something else.

It could be something like a business idea which is brewing up in your mind, or a love interest (flaming or bust), or some pressing domestic issue. The mind is so focused on the issue that, you don't really pay adequate attention to the other things in your life. This can be good and bad.

The good part is that many seemingly alarming problems in day-to-day life become muted and unimportant, and you handle them in a routine manner. The bad side is when you are completely consumed by the burning idea or problem, you might ignore the seemingly mundane stuff and be punished for that.