You are not the center of the universe

It’s been a crazy week taking care of my whole family, checking up on my granny, sending my sister to KK Hospital for a sudden emergency and getting my mother to do TCM treatment for her swollen arm. I haven’t had time to slow down to ponder and to write until today. Right now, I’m sitting around at an office in Singapore’s downtown CBD waiting for my China tourist visa application to process. I just found out not too long ago that all Singaporeans thinking of visiting China, will need to apply for a visa at least one month in advance if you intend to stay for more than 15 days. I figured that I should make good use of the waiting time to air out my thoughts through this outfit post.

Looking around me I see everyone rushing around, staring at their phones, fidgeting impatiently and generally being incredibly self-absorbed. This is getting to be a common sight. Not only among strangers but also among people that I know very well. Everyone has their own problems; no matter how perfect or happy they may seem on the outside. Regardless of how busy your life is, remember that there is always space for a little kindness to others.

Sometimes I feel the need to remind myself and others to look through the window from the other side. You are not the epicenter of the universe. You and what is happening to you is not everything to everyone else. It’s very difficult to view the world from a perspective outside of your own, since we are always so focused on what’s happening in our own lives.

Before writing this post I was going through my head on the things I have to do today? The choices I need to make for me, for my career, for my life? Figuring out what it is that I really want. Thinking about how much valuable time I’ve lost in my crazy week. It’s normal to be intensely aware of everything that’s going on in your own life, but you need to pay as much attention to what’s happening around you, and how things affect other people in the world as you do to your own life. It helps to keep things in perspective.

I’m not the center of the universe; for the universe is vast and I am but a small speck. One human among five billion others – all feeling themselves to be the center of things – scratching out an existence on the surface of a medium-sized planet circling a small star among countless stars in a galaxy lost among countless galaxies.  This immense world of many unknowns is only bearable through love and kindness.

At the end of the day, if the people that you love and care about are happy, naturally, you will be too. I want remind us to stop judging others on our own yardstick. To stop thinking that what we know is enough to make decisions for others.

Thank you for paying attention to my random thoughts and giving some time to reading what I have to say. You may be a friend or a stranger but our paths have crossed (even if it’s electronically) and for that I’m grateful. I hope that it has made a positive impact in your day and that I have helped spread a little more motivation for love and kindness around.