Article by Monica Young
“ You’re sitting on a planet spinning around in the middle of absolutely nowhere. Go
ahead, take a look at reality. You’re floating in empty space in a universe that goes on
forever. If you have to be here, at least be happy and enjoy the experience.”
– Michael Singer
When I lived in Colorado, I’d often times find myself at the top of a mountain
remembering this quote. Looking over the city of Boulder, everything looked so small,
buildings and houses indistinguishable. I’d look over the treetops, watch the toy cars
driving by down below, and observe the ant-sized humans below my feet as they hiked
their way up to the summit. In that moment, I would feel so small. So insignificant. But
I loved it.
As a lifelong worrier, this feeling of smallness allowed me to put my current worries into
perspective. I would use that time on top of the mountain to reflect on the things that
were bothering me in that moment and ask myself, “Is this really worth stressing over?”
10 times out of 10, the answer was no. When asking myself “Will this matter in a week,
a month, or a year from now?,” the answer was still no. Here I was, in a beautiful city,
on a beautiful day, having the health and strength to have made it to the top of a
mountain and I still had lingering worries. If we’re going to be here, on this planet
spinning around in the middle of nowhere, why do we waste our time dwelling on the
tiniest of things?
Aside from reflection and asking ourselves the right questions, another technique we
can use to better help us utilize the power of perspective is creating scenarios that allow
us to see things from a different point of view. For example, whenever I am feeling the
Sunday Scaries or the Monday Blues, I remind myself to be thankful that I am healthy
and well enough to go to work instead of being home sick with the flu. If you’re like me
and often feel that feeling of dread before a long work week, just recall a time when you
were so ill that you were physically unable to leave the house – that might just be all it
takes for you to drop the negativity and start your work week with the right attitude.
When we realize that things can always be worse, we can shift our mindset and
appreciate our life the way it already is, in that moment. There’s a reason why we tend
to reflect on our lives and how good we have it when unfortunate tragedies occur in the
world that don’t directly affect us. We shouldn’t have to wait for these occurrences to
happen in order to appreciate what we already have. Instead, take time each day to
remember how good everything already is, because remember, if you have to be on this
planet, at least be happy and enjoy the experience.
Join Monica every Sunday at 11am at Solshine Yoga for Sol Yoga Flow!
