Anybody ever experience a fleeting moment of clarity where they feel like they see the "big picture"?

[G]

This is kind of hard to explain, but bear with me.

I occasionally experience these thoughts (sometimes after seeing something particularly uplifting or inspiring, sometimes completely out of the blue) where I suddenly think I see the "big picture", the whole world -

Everything that is wrong with it- from the obvious poverty and differences in standards of living, the unnecessary violence, to the nonsense that those of us lucky enough to live in developed world experience - facebook, twitter and the fascination with pop-culture (I am not exempt from indulging in these things by any means - but still see how they are not good things in many ways)

But I also see the magic of it all - its beauty (apart from the scenic landscapes), the existence of things such as music and other art forms, the diversity of life and human cultures, all we've managed to learn so far and what other mysteries and intricacies we've yet to discover and unravel.

I see my place in it all - which is not that bad by all means - I like to think I'm generally a nice person, working a job doing something that I enjoy (sometimes), but might not agree with the overall principles of the company (all the time), with a loving family.

But then this momentary clarity is gone and I fall back into the same routine - the general work, eat/sleep itinerary - where I don't really find the time to muse about the nature of existence.

I do find comfort in the idea that us and everything else is made up of elements from exploding stars - and that we are the result of the universe trying to understand itself.

Sometimes I feel like I should be trying to do something a little more important, although I'm not sure what should be. Then, suddenly the impetus is gone and I fall back into the old routine.

I just wonder sometimes if anybody else thinks this way occasionally or do they think all the time, like the way I think 95% of the time - about the immediate concerns - and aren't really aware/don't think about the larger picture. I realise we would get very little done if we spent our days pondering like this...

I suppose the question would be if people ever find themselves thinking this way and have identified it as a distinctly different way of thinking to the way they usually would? ... And if so, how to keep thinking this way and not be consumed by more immediate and sometimes frivolous thoughts regarding the day to day goings-on?