Why it’s important to view our worries from a larger perspective
Our existence is a speck of dust compared to the gigantic ever-expanding universe
Most of us earthlings are frequently bogged down by worldly problems. Be it relationships, health, finances, or professional woes. At times our problems seem overbearing and unsurmountable. The truth is they shouldn’t. If we take a larger perspective and compare our life to the magnificence of the universe, anything we humans create or worry about is essentially inconsequential. On this pale-blue-dot planet, our speck-of-dust existence amounts to little in the massive scale of the cosmos. A reality we deliberately choose to ignore.
When life puts a damper on your day, switch on a documentary about Space or the Universe and watch your mountain of troubles shrivel to a molehill. It helps to put our worries into perspective by comparing our puny existence to the enormity of the universe (or multiverse as some posit.) Distancing ourselves from our immediate problems and getting a space-eye view of what truly matters, helps us realize that our life on Earth is too brief to fret over transient concerns.
“I believe everyone should have a broad picture of how the universe operates and our place in it. It is a basic human desire. And it also puts our worries in perspective.” — Stephen Hawking
The universe is infinite and unfathomable: We are tiny and inconsequential
“If your ego starts out, ‘I am important, I am big, I am special,’ you’re in for some disappointments when you look around at what we’ve discovered about the universe. No, you’re not big. No, you’re not. You’re small in time and in space. And you have this frail vessel called the human body that’s limited on Earth.” — Neil deGrasse Tyson
Our human existence is a passing nanosecond compared to the universal time clock. Our work, home, relationships, a mere sliver in this space-time concept. Then why do we take our lives so seriously?
How much do we matter in the unfathomable universal existence?
The fact is that we don’t.
Whatever we humans create — be it the latest cryptocurrency, fastest reusable rocket, or largest cruise liner, our endeavors fall short of the vast impenetrable universe. Everything we own or accumulate is left behind. Our desire for materialistic earthly toys is simply that, earthly toys.
Yet, many spend their entire life accumulating wealth and man-made assets. Competing with each other for who has more.
Exactly how big is the home you live in or all your worldly possessions? What about that mega-million yacht? Can you see them from space?
Forget man-made possessions, even our home planet Earth and galaxy are embarrassingly tiny.
When we scale up into space, our Earth, the Sun, and the Milky Way galaxy are infinitesimally small compared to our neighbors in the universe.
Astrophysicists say that the Sun is one of over 100 billion stars in our Milky Way galaxy. While the Milky Way galaxy is just one of over 100 million galaxies in the observable universe.
The universe doesn’t care about our ego
“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.” — Albert Einstein
Be it our politics or our boardroom conquests, all are led by the human ego. The invisible “me-mine-my virus” that infects all of us. We constantly worry about tomorrow even though we have no guarantee of its arrival.
Our life span of a mere 100+ years is dominated by ego-boosting activities like getting the highest paying job, building a multi-million-dollar business, securing the next big real-estate investment et. al. But it’s important to recognize that all these mortal accomplishments are trivial compared with the vastness of space.
Yet, we cater to our false ego daily. We get wound up in our relationships, our financial bondages, and our made-up definition of life’s purpose. If only we could all wake up to realize that we’re simply travelers in space-time with a ridiculously short stay on this planet.
Is it worth agonizing over accumulating wealth and financial fortresses to house our pride? Fortresses that are tinier than a microbe compared to the grandiosity of deep space.
From the vantage of outer orbit, no human can be spotted, even if they are the tallest, richest, and most famous ones. From up there, we’re like obscure ants making ant hills that can be swept away by a forceful gust. Even then, we dedicate our entire life building and protecting our ant hills at the cost of our sanity.
If our existence is simply a brief halt on planet Earth, why not enjoy this brief stay, celebrate this short vacation, and move on graciously to our next existence, wherever that may be.
The Universe doesn’t need us … we need it.
“We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very special.” — Stephen Hawking
We put so much effort into who we are and what we’d like to accomplish. Does the universe care?
No.
Do you remember the names of your great-great-great-grandparents? Or what they accomplished besides procreation? Most of us don’t, even though they lived a few hundred years ago. Our life will have the same impact on generations a few hundred years from now. We’ll mean nothing more than a name and photo(or videos) to our great-great-great grandchild, that is if we have any.
Our presence makes no difference to the universe, but we humans need the universe to satisfy our basic need — our innate curiosity. In the secrets of the universe lie the secrets of our existence. Who are we? Why are we here? Where are we heading? This is the basic motivation behind all our space explorations.
So, the next time you find yourself on the rocking chair of worries remember the immensely short journey you’re on. Try to get a larger perspective on your life’s problems in comparison to the grand scheme of the universe. Then stop being a worrywart and lend a helping hand to another mortal. That is the true purpose of our existence; creating value in our life, helping others, and becoming happy in the process.
We arrived on this planet empty-handed and naked; we’ll leave in the same way. Instead of spending our entire vacation on Earth building sandcastles, enjoy your precious life, help others, and savor this short life span.
To be happy in the here and now is our only mission on planet Earth.
