Recently a friend sent me a picture of Earth as seen from Saturn. It was nothing more than a tiny blue dot, a speck of dust in the universe. We live on this speck of dust and are just 1 out of 7.8 billion people. When we think about it, at one level we are so insignificant in the entire universe, and yet sometimes our egos can become larger than the universe.

The pursuit of constantly wanting more, comparing ourselves to others, feeling offended at the smallest thing and feeling superior because of our talent or achievements, gives us a sense of self-worth which often distorts our perspective. Even if we were to conquer this entire world, which of course is impossible, what we would have really achieved is only conquering a speck of dust in the entire universe.  

It does not mean that what we are doing is not important and that we need stop giving our best every day just because of the magnitude of the universe around us. That would be picking up the wrong end of the stick. We need to sometimes recalibrate and give a perspective to our ego.

Realising the largeness of the universe fills us with a sense of humility and suddenly we get amused with our oversized egos. Reflecting on how billions of factors help us achieve whatever we do fills us with deep gratitude and makes us realise the futility of carrying a big ego. The size of our anger, hurt and pride, at some level, become meaningless in the context of the universe we live in.

And yet, as colossal as the universe is, we have a significance of being part of it. Each one of us is like a small piece in a giant jigsaw, without which the jigsaw is not complete. In that understanding, ego gives way to purpose. Each one of us needs to stop obsessing about ourselves and start discovering the joy of making a difference in someone’s life. In that discovery, ego gives way to a spirit of service.

The universe existed before us and will continue after us. Our journey will only be meaningful and enjoyable when we realise that it is not the universe of our ego that is important, but the universe within that needs to be discovered.

(Picture – Image of Earth taken from Cassini spacecraft from the vicinity of Saturn’s rings)