Have you ever made a terrible mistake and felt like the world was falling apart around you? Have you ever experienced a moment when a problem felt so enormous that you simply could not believe that it would ever be solved?
One of the most deeply breathtaking sights in the world is a large, lush field. From afar, you will see the field as a soft green carpet that moves like the ocean underneath summer winds. Get closer and you will notice the individual blades of grass, each insect and worm, and every flower that thrives on the land. Regardless of how different these organisms are, they begin to blend into a single beautiful sight as we move further and further away. No matter what they consume or how they live, they are all connected together by the very soil that makes up the field.
Human beings are quite similar to this image of a field. Since the beginning of time, there have been billions of people who have lived on our planet. Each of us is different. Our fingerprints are different, and so are the footprints that we have left behind as a mark of our existence. Some of us make smaller marks, while others create stories that last for centuries. Yet, no matter how different we are, we are all connected by the fact that we live on the same planet – we share the same home.
This is a home that has birthed and sheltered people and creatures so great that we have preserved their existence in museums. This home is special and unique, but as we view it from increasingly larger distances in space, it becomes nothing more than a pale blue dot. It becomes quite indistinguishable from the stars we see in the night sky. It becomes a single blade of grass in a giant, green field.
We have grown accustomed to having complete control over our world. As a result, we tend to forget one very important fact – we are not quite particularly significant. Every one of us is beautiful and important in an irreplaceable way. However, in the face of the largeness of our universe, our mistakes, our sorrows, our flaws, and even our unforgettable problems become truly insignificant.
When we are young, the world and life seem much larger and intense than they truly are. We feel as if small mistakes can ruin our entire lives. In truth, we are so tiny in comparison to the world that even deliberate acts intended to cause change barely affect it. This is why we still battle issues like global warming regardless of how many changes we have brought to our lifestyles with the intention of mitigating it.
Human beings have the amazing gift of choice. We have the choice to blend into the world like a blade of grass, where we bring about unity and harmony. On the other hand, we also have the chance to shine with unique colours, like flowers or butterflies in a field. Most importantly, we have the freedom to make mistakes and live life freely while we learn and understand the world.
