We are small compared to the ocean. Deep territory unexplored, the ocean must be home to more than the human brain has the capacity to grasp. The depth of the ocean is similar to the concept of Heaven, or our minimal knowledge of space… compared to the galaxies, our existence is minor. I’d like to think Andromeda is still in existence, but I won’t know for 2.3 million years, which quite obviously means I will never know at all. When it comes to people, I am one in 7.7 billion. But there’s a significance to our insignificance.
Now, how can our insignificance carry any significance at all? Isn’t that contradictory by definition? I guess it depends on what you believe.
I believe we were crafted with purpose. Our creation was intentional, which carries a significance in itself. Even so, we are mortal. If that’s not something that resonates with you, imagine standing at the foot of the Spring Temple Buddha, the third tallest statue in the world, and remind yourself that even this massive monument is smaller than the Eiffel Tower, which, even that you lose sight of very quickly by satellite. Suddenly, you’re insignificant. What is 100 years (max) in relation to eternity? A grain of sand. A single, ebbing wave. The point of a pin in a basket of millions.
Now bring yourself back to this moment in time. Imagine 10 people that carry importance to you sitting in a circle in your living room. Recall a single memory with each individual in the group. Recollect the moment you met. Call upon a moment that made you angry, a moment that brought you joy, a moment that you’ll never forget. If moments were water droplets in a bathtub, it’d overflow. Suddenly, you’re significant. What is the single most life-altering, metamorphic year of your life in relation to the rest? The eruption of a stagnant volcano. Walking toward the altar. The only pair of red pants in a room full of plain trousers.
We’ve explored a good portion of our galaxy, used technology to travel 7 miles below sea level, landed a human body on the moon, and still, someday we will die.
Here’s my point: What you choose to do every day of your short life might not drastically impact the world, but it most certainly matters. It’s about the feeling you get inside of you when you’ve accomplished something larger than life. It’s about the recognition of internal success. It’s about reaching your own kind of fulfillment. It’s about making the most of your moments. It’s about your choices. It’s about becoming a whole person. It’s about what you consciously decide to leave behind.
There is a significance to your insignificance. You as a person are intrinsically important, and it is up to you to make your time count.