The Significance of our Insignificance
Changing your perspective has the power to change your life.
We are conditioned beings. From diapers onwards, we are taught what is true, what is bad, how to act, and what to believe. Although much of this conditioning is well-intentioned, it puts labels and limits on what we are truly capable of. When we look at the big picture, we realize we are actually not the center of the universe like our ego wants us to believe.
We live in a moist spec of dust (earth) that rotates around a medium size star (sun) in a quiet region of one arm in an average galaxy. This is one of the thousands that make up a galaxy supercluster, which is one of the thousands that make up our universe.1 It is like we are a toothpick on a football field. From a time perspective, we can examine how our existence fits into the grand scheme of things. If we assume the big bang happened on January 1st at 12:01am and this moment of time is December 31st at 11:59pm… then dinosaurs were extinct on December 30th and human existence started on December 31st at 11:53pm. Take a deep breath and let that sink in for a moment.
The first time I felt this was walking on the beach in Nosara, Costa Rica. I was on a week-long retreat at the Blue Spirit Retreat Center. If you want to peel back layers of your mind and do it in paradise, this is the place. During an afternoon break, I was walking along an expansive beach at low tide. I came across a scorpion the size of my pinky finger. At this moment, I looked at the small size of this insect in relation to the vast beach. I became aware that I was really just a speck of energy compared to the entire universe. For an instant, all thoughts vanished and I was in awe of the totality of the universe and all creation. Nothing changed in the physical world, but my awareness of how I fit into everything drastically shifted. This idea is known as Cosmic Insignificance Therapy.
As big as our problems may seem at the moment, they are truly insignificant in the scheme of things. Taking a broader bird's eye view keeps things in perspective. Yet again, it's up to you to decide if this is helpful or if the energy you put into perceived problems is warranted.
“I discovered that when I believed my thoughts I suffered, but when I didn’t believe them I didn’t suffer, and that this is true for every human being. Freedom is as simple as that.”
- Byron Katie, Author
When putting things into perspective I like to use Byron Katie’s 4 question framework
Question 1: Is it true?
Question 2: Can you absolutely know it’s true?
Question 3: How do you react—what happens—when you believe that thought?Q
Question 4: Who would you be without the thought?
Turn the thought around:
Turning the thought around changes your perspective. It allows you to experience the opposite of what you are telling yourself.
ACTION ITEMS
The next time you face suffering, answer Byron's 4 questions.
When feeling overwhelmed, take a step back and adjust your awareness to a broader lens and takes some pressure off yourself
Use the Insight Timer app to do a reflective mental exercise that lasts as little as 1 minute
Singer, M. A. (2007). The untethered soul: The journey beyond yourself. New Harbinger Publications.