Because we Homo sapiens have a brain that is large enough to imagine illusions of grandeur, as individuals, we tend to overly inflate the significance of our own existence. And while it is wildly inconceivable for most of us, some of us literally believe we are the center of the universe and the billions of galaxies which surround us are in existence because our tiny blue dot exists.
For perspective, our solar system (not just our planet) would be the size of a single grain of rice floating in the Pacific Ocean – representing the vastness and expanse of our single Milky Way galaxy in this analogy.
Interestingly, relative to trees growing in Muir woods which some are 1000 years old or the bowhead whale which has an average lifespan of 200 years, you and I are merely cameo appearances on an eternal stage. Compared to the Grand Canyon, like the song says, “all we are is dust in the wind.”
Much like most of you, I don’t know anything about my great grandparents other than the fact that because they existed, so do I. And just like these people I will never know, someday, my husband and I will also be relegated to pictures in a virtual scrapbook, our history, merely names to discover in an Ancestry.com DNA search.
I say all of that to say this: everything we are wasting our emotional energy on, our verbal sparring over the “outrage of the day” or our constant need to choose sides, label and disparage one another means absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things.
So what really matters? What should we spend our emotional and psychological energy on?
For this time and place in History, I believe personal integrity matters. I believe kindness matters. I believe we should focus on inspiring one another, lifting one another up when we fall, giving one another the benefit of the doubt before we hastily judge. I believe it is valuable to spend time examining our own souls and motivations before we jump on our high horse. I believe we should seek to be the Good Samaritan, valuing truth and love above hateful hyperbole and provocative propaganda. I believe now more than ever we humans most stop talking and start listening with a view towards healing the heart of the whole world . . . this miracle of a blue dot floating in time and space.
The Zen Den
Hello and welcome to The Zen Den. My name is Alison and while I am passionate about many things, my most inspiring driving force is human connection. Blogger, content writer, orthopedic exercise specialist, motivational speaker, international yoga pro, published songwriter, avid poker player, mom and wife are just a few of my titles. But when I do my job at NASA, I am known simply as “The Fairy Zenmother” a role I deeply love because people invite me into their space to help them find their center, relax and stretch their muscles and destress their mind. Here in the blogosphere version of The Zen Den, I invite you into my world where I will explore ideas for creating a better tomorrow and a kinder today. And hopefully, with insight, authenticity and humor; my words, observations and experiences will help you feel calm, centered, intellectually challenged and spiritually enlightened. Alternatively, if you have something you would like to see covered in The Zen Den, just let me know. Your feedback is welcome and valuable to the success of this blog. Finally, my heart is filled with gratitude to have this opportunity to share with all of you.
