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Look up from your navel every now and again to marvel at the beauty and glory of the universe
Let's face it, most of what we humans obsess over is pretty pathetic. The smallest insult can have us fuming for weeks, the tiniest inconvenience seems overwhelming, and our little problems fill our heads as if we were the most important person that was ever born.
Of course, this isn't all our fault. We've been thrown into this situation by fate. If we ignore the small practical problems that fill our lives, they'll soon have real consequences for us. We have little choice but to obsess over the petty and the mundane.
But occasionally, it's worthwhile lifting your head from the problems of the gutter to stare up at the stars. We spend so much time contemplating our own navels, that we can miss out on one of life's true pleasures - appreciating the beauty and glory of the universe.
Something I find really enjoyable is spending time outside on a clear night, looking up at the stars and just having a think. It astonishes me that every one of those stars is a sun, many much larger than our own. I wonder what's going on up there that we don't know about. Obviously we all think about alien life sometimes, but that's just the best our imaginations have come up with so far. One thing the history of science teaches us is that the real truth is usually far more astonishing than anything our own heads can produce.
The world outside ourselves can be cruel, but it can also be amazing. Just spend time looking at a tree, for example, and marvel at the incredible complexity contained in that one organism. The patterns of its leaves, designed to catch water and sun, the twists of its trunk, and the deep grip of its roots. You can walk past a hundred trees a day without noticing any of them. Yet, if you take the time to stare for a while, you can see just what an amazing thing a simple tree actually is.
Look back at the history of our planet and it's really remarkable. All the geological events, the forming of the atmosphere and what goes on beneath our feet. Consider all the different animals and plants that have called our planet home - always changing and adapting with the times. Think of the history of our own kind - from the cavepeople to today. What an amazing story it all is.
Of course your own problems are important to you and will take up the majority of your time, but that's not all there is to life. Rather than being a shallow and superficial soul, take some time to look outside yourself and gaze upon the universe you were born into. It is an amazing place and it would be a shame to miss it because you're too obsessed with your own navel.
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