An Immense Universe

Daily challenges are a fact of life. Even though each and every person has the resources within them to overcome any obstacle, it is common for problems to keep a person stuck in a one point of focus. It is easy to become hypnotized by the adversities that surround us as well as the overwhelming dramatics of the emotions. During moments of challenge, things that are in actuality transient, appear permanent. The fragmented details of our lives often become the center of our universe. Small details easily become mistaken for the whole. Therefore, it is important to gain a fresh perspective when we find ourselves getting stuck in our problematic experiences. The power is in us to use our freewill abilities to view our challenges from a larger picture. When we take the time to do this, our problems will lose their grasp on our minds and our emotions. All the dramatics that surround the situation will fade away.

The following excerpt will help you to gain a wider perspective and help to dissolve your burdens:

“The chair on which you are sitting at this moment is traveling through interstellar space at the speed of 18.5 miles per second-together with the planet Earth, of course, and with the whole solar system including the sun. The sun itself is a middle-aged yellow star on the periphery of our galaxy (the Milky Way), one star among the hundred billion others composing it. Astronomers tell us that there are numberless other galaxies like our Milky Way, each of them made up of myriads of stars, most of which are quite likely to have their own planets circling around them. “If only 1/10,000 of 1 percent of those planets harbors a technical civilization-and this seems to be a conservative estimate-the universe must teem with more than 100 trillion civilizations.” Life Science Library, Planets (New York: Time/Life Books, 1966), p.184.

In the context of such immensity, it is possible to shift from an ego-centered awareness to a universe centered awareness. This shift in perspective has the potential to liberate our minds to perceive the whole. Everything in our life can take on a whole new meaning. It is exciting to think about the possibilities! What things, situations, and challenges in your life can you view from this perspective? Will you make time in your day to meditate upon this perspective?