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Look up from your navel every now and again to marvel at the beauty and glory of the universe
Tuesday, 20 February 2007
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.
 | How to find yourself | | Along with the problem of trying to figure out how the world works, we also all have a similar problem of discovering exactly who it is we are. People are always surprising themselves with behavior they didn’t expect and thoughts they feel aren’t entirely in their control. |  | Generally, it's best just to tell people what they want to hear | | Some people live to tell others what they're doing wrong. They see themselves as some sort of ivory-tower dwelling soul, gazing mercifully down on the rest of us and having the generosity to point out our faults when they see it as necessary. I'm sure you meet such people all the time. |  | How to get a job paying more than $100,000 a year | | How do people get themselves into a position of earning good incomes at young ages? Why do some people work hard for minimum wage while others have cushy jobs that are well-paid? Most importantly, how can you become one of the latter? | | Becoming more self-absorbed probably isn't going to solve your problems | | There are many books and articles written about how to improve your life. Many focus on changing what's going on inside your head. They want you to think more positively, change your inner conversation, and carefully examine your past. In general, they have one thing in common, they want you to become more self-absorbed. |  | The easiest way to fool smart people | | There’s a saying among con-men that smart people are easier targets, because they don’t think they can be conned. I’m not sure if that’s true, but there’s one scam that’s almost guaranteed to make smart people switch off their brains and reach for their wallets. | | You can't trust people with money | | What is it with money that makes otherwise good people lose all moral perspective? The dubious real-estate agent may well be a good and trustworthy friend away from the office, but he'll tell his clients anything to get a few extra dollars out of them. |  | Evidence that success comes from self-discipline | | An interesting experiment on the nature of success was started by psychologist Walter Mischel at Stanford University in the 1960s. He decided to test the self-discipline of children at an early age, then trace their relative success as their lives went on. |  | If you have a problem, look in the mirror first for its source | | Consider the following scenario. Mr Smith has been a dedicated employee at a big company for over fifteen years. He has a mortgage, two children at private school, and a nice car, all paid for with debt. | | Understanding the games people play | | A very interesting book, for anyone who's interested in the psychology of human relationships, is Games People Play by Eric Berne. Dr Berne is a psychiatrist who developed the theory of transactional analysis, which looks at the ways people interact with one another. Specifically, he's interested in the psychological games people play. | | Whatever you say or do in this world, someone will strongly disapprove | | Wouldn't it be great if everyone just loved us and thought everything we did and said was right? What an easy life that would be. Unfortunately, this isn't going to happen any time soon. Pretty much anything you do or say is going to make somebody angry, upset, or despairing of your intelligence and sanity. |
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