Silvana Avram is a successful, Inspirational Life Coach, philosopher, author, teacher, and founder of Life Coaching with Silvana – whose mission is to empower us to embrace our uniqueness, fall in love with life, fulfill our potential and create a beautiful legacy.
I feel grateful and privileged to be a human being. I have deep trust in humanity, and in our place in the universe. But sometimes I do get restless and impatient with us. I feel that we are wasting precious energy in unnecessary outer and inner conflicts. I feel that life could be so much easier here on Earth if we just remembered who we are: powerful beings of beauty and intelligence living on a small, generous planet, floating in a spectacular universe – and lived our lives accordingly.
“All the problems in the world could be solved, and all the suffering assuaged, just by broadening our perspective. It is time to look up. It is time to relearn to be.” ― Silvana Avram
We have become too accustomed to look down. We forget that the universe is our home.
We busy ourselves so we don’t have to deal with ultimate existential questions like “Who am I?” We have become so accustomed to worry and fear, that joy and gratitude seem a luxury.
We take our personal experiences too seriously. We forget that we are all in this together.
Sure, life on Earth is not easy. Our safety is never guaranteed. Despite the generosity of our planet, many of us continue to have to work very hard to earn a living. And, of course, our experiences are important and valuable, because they are ours, and because they contribute to our common experience as humanity.
Yet, I believe that, in order to create a safer, more just, and more joyful world, we must relearn to look up and reconnect with our place in the universe. We must remind ourselves of the mystery of being. And we must refocus our attention on what unites us, rather than what divides us.
Here are three powerful ideas that can help us broaden our horizon, be better with ourselves and others, and replace the prevalent narrative of fear and division, with a more hopeful, liberating, and empowering perspective.
1. We live in an expansive universe. Life is expansion. (Death is expansion too)
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed." ― Albert Einstein
According to Wikipedia, “It is estimated that there are between 200 billion to 2 trillion galaxies in the observable universe”. Our own Milky Way has about 100 billion stars – 100,000,000,000.
How is that for a broader perspective?
The jury is still out on whether the universe is infinite or finite, but scientists agree that our universe continues to expand.
Could this help us understand that we too, expand with the universe…that nothing ever stays the same, and that embracing change is more rewarding than trying to cling on to the status quo?
Staying aware that every day is a new beginning, that every moment is an opportunity for expansion and growth…may well make us feel more content with our lives and more at peace.
Reflecting on the constant expansion of the universe could also help us accept that our lives, as important as they may seem to us, are but an aspect of Life as it happens.
This should be liberating – a reminder that nothing is as serious or as definitive as it may seem.
I often wonder why we take things so seriously here on Earth. We see that spring always comes after winter. We see that day always follows night. We look up and see the night sky sparkling with stars. We look around and see so much abundance and beauty in nature. We know that everything is transitory and thus, all the more precious. As the French poet Guillaume Apollinaire beautifully put it, “It is high time to rekindle the stars” (“Il est grand temps de rallumer les étoiles”.)
It is time we looked up…without fear. It is time we remembered where we come from…allow our mind and our heart to expand…and laugh more often. After all, if we are to take anything with us in Eternity…would we not rather take joy than worry?
Here is how you can begin this shift:
Read more about our solar system, about stars and galaxies.
See the universe as our home, a wondrous, not frightening place to be.
Keep things into perspective. Remind yourself that our stay on Earth is transitory, which, of course, makes it all the more precious.
For more expansive insights and exploration here are some of the many fascinating materials out there:
Is the universe infinite? Astronomy article by Korey Haynes
2. We are human beings. Being, not doing, should be our focus and perspective
“I'm not here to be small, to compare, to judge (myself or you), to fit in or to be perfect. I'm here to grow, to learn, to love, to be human.” ― Sue Fitzmaurice
Funnily enough, no one really teaches us how to be. Being is somewhat taken for granted. Instead, we learn how to do things. We get so busy “doing”, that many of us almost forget about being. Yet being, connecting with the very essence of life, of who we are, may well be the main purpose of this wonderful experience called life.
We don’t have many satisfying answers about the meaning or purpose of life – but does it really matter? We are alive, right now, and from the perspective of the expanding universe we mentioned earlier, that is a miracle.
Why complicate things? Why not just focus on being? On experiencing life, on honouring our unique gifts? Why do all sorts of things just to keep ourselves busy, when “busy” is the last thing we should want to be? Who wants to waste energy in unnecessary worries and ephemeral conflicts, when our time here is so limited? Isn’t that absurd? Isn’t it silly to be upset, to hate, to entertain any negative emotions, when you have one life to celebrate, one opportunity to be you, to experience life, to simply be?
Busy? Let’s be busy being – being ourselves, being happy…being grateful. The rest is irrelevant. The only thing that really matters is being. Fully.
Start today.
Spend more time with yourself. What makes your heart sing? Do you enjoy being you? *
If “Who am I?” feels elusive, focus on “Who do I want to be?”
Drop all comparisons. You can only be you. What does it mean for you to be at your best? Start living your life accordingly.
*You can find more inspiration about why and how to enjoy being you, in my book “Being You and Loving You – The Ultimate Guide to Fulfilment”.
3. We are unique and yet we are one humanity
“We are all different. There is no such thing as a standard or run-of-the-mill human being, but we share the same human spirit.” ― Stephen Hawking
You are unique. You don’t have to and you can’t be like anyone else. Why would you even try?
The beauty and joy of being you is your most precious gift and your most valuable contribution to the world. Learn to enjoy being you. It is the only path to lasting contentment and happiness.
But as we learn to acknowledge and fully appreciate our uniqueness – we must also accept that everyone else is unique, and that every human life brings a valuable contribution to the world and to humanity. Everyone else is just like us: a unique, valuable, precious human being. Judgement does not help. Competition is absurd. Openness, acceptance, and kindness are the wise choices.
Our uniqueness is guaranteed. Our contribution too. All we need to “do” is be the best and the happiest we can be.
You can:
Learn to love being human, for yourself and for everyone else.
See every human being as family.
Remind yourself that your life is your contribution to the fascinating story of humanity. We are writing this story together.
To help you ponder more on this topic, here is a beautiful article by Satish Kumar: One Earth, One Humanity, One Future.
Together, we are writing our common story. Together, we are creating the future of humanity!
At a time when AI is making remarkable strides, pushing the boundaries of what machines can achieve, we must make sure that human intelligence continues to expand its scope, as well as its emotional depth and creativity.
If even just one of the ideas in this article stays with you, I will have succeeded in my endeavour – to help us broaden our perspective ever so slightly.
Our world will soon be very different indeed if we do...
Reconnect with the universe
We live in an expansive universe, and we expand with it.
Let’s look up, not down.
Reconnect with who we are
Being is our purpose.
Let’s relearn to Be.
Reconnect with each other
We are unique and yet alike.
We are interconnected human beings, we are humanity. We are all in this together.
I am convinced that opening our perspective will help us be better equipped for the challenges we face, lead more joyful lives, and feel both connected and free.
And, of course, I am not alone in believing that we can change reality.
If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. ― Wayne Dyer
What do you think? Does broadening the perspective unsettle or excite you?
Let me know…
Read more from Silvana Avram
Silvana Avram, Inspirational Life Coach and Author
Silvana Avram is a successful, Inspirational Life Coach, philosopher, author, teacher, and founder of Life Coaching with Silvana – whose mission is to empower us to embrace our uniqueness, fall in love with life, fulfill our potential and create a beautiful legacy.
Fascinated from a young age by the mystery of life and our place in the universe, Silvana has been on a quest to find her own answers to the big existential questions facing humanity. Now an acclaimed Coach and Author, she draws on her extensive study of Philosophy, Psychology, Meditation, Holistic Healing, and Spirituality to create a uniquely inspirational and empowering style of Coaching – also reflected in her Book “Being You and Loving You” in which she guides us through an unforgettable, transformative journey of self-discovery and self-love.
