How in those moments of absolute insanity do we put our heads
down and plow through with displays of either amazing grace or unadulterated tolerance?
We hurt but we get through, we move on, we
see the endless possibility in the start of yet another day. We forgive, we love again, we see the good,
we try to make the best of our rare gift of life.
No person is exempt.
No life truly lived without anxiety.
Every answer is different. No response
can be wrong.
I am acquainted with individuals who find solace in exercise
or rest, careful introspection or wiping the slate of the mind clean. Some lay down roots as others voyage. A few medicate while others strive for utter
sobriety. Many seek the refuge of a union
or assembly while some break away from ties and find a new but more solitary
path.
I can only speak for myself but one ideal is so meaningful
and true to me that it casts emotion and perspective into an unshakable light. It forces me to feel modest and know my woes are as well.
That is the sheer size of the known universe and the
statistical improbability of my own existence.
As a child I was
introduced to the work of Carl Sagan and I have been hypnotised by his and
similar teachings ever since. For me, it is impossible to review the
scientific observations of experts in the field of Astronomy and not be in awe
of how amazing my opportunity of simply being alive, being human, truly is.
This is not to say that our daily endeavours
are without purpose but our pale blue dot of a drifting home, made up of star
stuff, could only benefit if we accepted how minute we actually are. Undeniably, the only thing any one infinitesimal
human can control is the depth of their character and the permission they
give knowledge to guide them to fortune and love along the way.
Are you still looking for your answer? Maybe, just maybe, Carl will help you find yours too. AB