We have a tendency to forget how precious life is. We are living it each day, caught up in the ups and downs of our experiences, taking little time to reflect. When we do reflect, we are usually caught up in the negative emotions and experiences of our day.
I once heard how we have this internal piggy bank. When something negative happens, let's say a dollar in change is removed from the bank. When something good happens, a nickel is put in. We have a tendency to allow those negative moments to take more than we allow the good to give.
There are over seven billion people living on this planet. It may seem like there are so many of us, that we should not matter. We do. Each person is built from their own unique strands of DNA, with each having a thumb print like no other. We are the summation of our experiences-or upbringing, our everyday encounters, and our perspective on each individual experience. How would the world not miss each and every one of us?There are over one hundred billion galaxies in the universe that we can see. And there are other universes that we cannot see. In the vastness of space, we are insignificant and amazingly rare at the same time. When an animal's species is on the decline due to habitat loss, disaster, or over-hunting, we place them on the endangered species list to protect the population. We look at them as precious beings, part of the cycle of nature for their area or the world. Each one places a role that without them, would change the rest of the cycle. So, why would we feel any different about ourselves?
Sometimes at my day job, I do see the oddness of human beings. I laugh telling my husband that working there sometimes makes me lose hope in the human race. However, at the same time, there are many beautiful people that come through those doors with warm hearts, and amazing life stories.
I am obsessed with people's stories. We all share common themes, but common experiences? No. Each of us has an individual perspective that changes any given experience. And when you listen to someones story, you can be amazed at all they have experienced, survived, and seen. Without them, the world would have been different.
Think about the chain reaction of encounters alone. Let's say you work in a store and a customer comes in, is rude to you and when they leave, perhaps your depressed or angry. Without them, you would not have experienced that moment. Now on the flip side, someone smiles at you in passing. You were perhaps sad or preoccupied with something going on in your personal life. Suddenly you smile in return and your heart feels full. As you see the next person, you smile easily. They in turn smile back feeling that swell in their heart. And so on. Each of us creates a ripple in the world.
And perhaps you're thinking about that cranky person that put you in a bad mood. Without them, you could not appreciate what you have. Without them, you would not be challenged to find happiness despite their unhappiness. Without them, you could not practice compassion. Without them, you could not revel in the people that are joyous. Without them, you did not have the reminder how being kind to others matter.
Each of us are like a pebble thrown into water. Inevitably, we will make a ripple. Without us, what happens next could not occur.
