At Home In the Universe

man floating free in space

 

Like all of my posts, this one is presented as food for thought, and hopefully to start a conversation. Does this picture resonate with you at all? For instance, have you ever felt you looked at things differently from other people…that a part of you was alone in the universe? If so, what was your reaction? Were you frightened… depressed… exhilarated… lonely? What did you do?

The decisive question for man is:
Is he related to something infinite or not?
That is the telling question of his life.

Only if we know that the thing which truly matters is the infinite can we avoid fixing our interests upon futilities, and upon all kinds of goals which are not of real importance….

In the final analysis, we count for something only because of the essential we embody, and if we do not embody that, life is wasted.
—Carl Jung

What do you think of Jung’s quote? Is the “infinite” important in your life? I’ve read enough biographies to know that many people lead fulfilled lives without paying much attention to the infinite. That said, it has been very important in my life. What about you?

The infinite aside, do you believe there is some essential that you embody and that your life is wasted if you don’t learn to express it? If so, do you know what that essential is or are you still looking?

A Hero’s Journey

The most defining moment of my life happened when I was 10 years old…I was in my 5th grade classroom, looking at a book about the origin of the solar system. I suddenly had a shift of consciousness that blew my cozy little world apart. Everything we were doing seemed suddenly insignificant in the grand cosmic scheme. There was no one to talk to about it, so it was frightening…but also exhilarating. The scary part was that I was completely alone in that part of my life…I could only look inside myself… and when I did there was nothing but a deep black hole.

I wrestled with that for a number of years and finally decided it was just another hero’s journey…the hero goes off on a quest, has some trials, learns/gains something and brings it back to the community. No big deal. Once I stopped taking it too seriously I was free to enjoy the adventure.

Alone On a Desert Island

This post is responding to Alex Shalman’s I’m Stuck On A Desert Island, With Just Myself. In it Alex confesses that one of his biggest fears is being completely alone, and he offers some great practical advice on how to handle solitude. His post reminded me of that incident when I was a kid, and that the deep black hole has disappeared. I no longer feel lost but at home in the universe. I’m convinced that would never have happened if I hadn’t spent a lot of time alone…exploring, finding and following my own path. What about you? Do you believe you have your own special path in life? Have you found it yet? Do you feel at home in the universe?

This site is about sharing, so please tell us your thoughts in either the comments section or in your own post. I especially invite Alex, Tina, Shirley, Bob, Liara, Ellen, Derrick, Jenny, Abu, Lyman, Danny, Michelle, Jenny and Erin, David, Adam, Peter, and Galba, if anything in this post resonates with you.


Picture courtesy of NASA.


Relevant posts: Happiness, the Purpose of Life?, Waking Up to Life, Do What You Love, Live Your Own Life, It’s a Magical World.

 


I’ve been chosen to receive one of the 2007 Adultitis Antidote Awards. Thank you, Kim and Jason!

 

This entry was posted in Living Fully. Bookmark the permalink.

37 Responses to At Home In the Universe

  1. Peter says:

    Hi Jean,

    Interesting post. Personally I have also always felt quite comfortable alone. Like you, I spent some time exploring my own thoughts and beliefs and I would say I am the better for it. These days my alone time is limited though as I have a wife and son. I do, however, love to wake early each day and have the first 2 hours to myself, exploring my thoughts and feelings via my writing.

    Peter

  2. Tina Su says:

    “I no longer feel lost but at home in the universe. I’m convinced that would never have happened if I hadn’t spent a lot of time alone…exploring”

    This stuck with me most. I’ve gone through the same discovery and understanding about my self through forcing myself to spend time alone, mainly because it was a fear and I wanted to fight it. But through this process, I discovered something much more precious… finding myself. As a result, I can love people and things more deeply and no longer bound by that fear. I mentioned from Alex’s blog that I used to have date nights with myself. This is particularly useful when you are in a relationship. I will talk about this further in a detail post in the future on what I did during date nights and how it changed me for the better.

    Here’s an article on dealing with fears where I share a similar story of becoming a photographer.

    Tina

  3. Danny says:

    Great post Jean. I think the idea of being alone with our thoughts or believing that no one else on Earth sees things the way we do is one of the fundamental reasons that so many people are quick to reject their better judgment and resort to conformity and harmful group-think activities. It is also one of the reasons that blogging is such an incredible force. When we blog, we find others in the world who see things the way we do and identify with our loneliest thoughts.
    Thanks for the invitation. I will definitely be joining the discussion with a post this week.

  4. Bob says:

    Jean, I appreciate how you encourage participation and conversation on your blog. As a reader, I definitely feel important around here.

    I can totally relate to what you’re saying here. I’m going to cook up a response on my blog… I think I’ll make it MyTurn/YourTurn next Sunday. Thanks for provoking some thought!

  5. Hi Jean,

    first of all, I totally agree with Bob. I really like your invites, as a token of appreciation to your readers, but also as a beautiful way to encourage participation.

    I’m not really sure what to think of Jung’s quote.. Though I do feel we are all connected in some way, I do not think of my contributions to the ‘infinite’. I dedicate my life and contributions to the here and now, to the people and goals that I love and relate to.

    I do believe each and everyone of us embodies a specific talent, a specific contribution to this world. I’m not sure I’ve found it myself though, I guess I’m still looking. But I’m enjoying the road to find it, and am glad with the contribution I’m making right now. To the lives of my loved ones, and to those goals I find important.

    As for the solitude, I love it. Being a working mom, with two wonderful kids (and a blog I like to write for ;-)), times of solitude are spare. But I know I need them, to have the peace and quiet to hear my inner voice. To now which step to take next, to follow that special path you’re mentioning, instead of letting circumstances lead my life.

    Thanks for this post!

    Ellen

  6. Pingback: Engaging the Disquiet » Blog Archive » Are you Connected?

  7. Liara Covert says:

    This is a mind-blowing photograph. People underestimate the sense of freedom they can create inside themselves. This image resonates with me in part because I think our minds are like the final frontier. We can each discover to empower a new sense of freedom in our own way, though a personal journey to enlightenment, wherever that may take us…

  8. Jean says:

    Thank you all for joining the conversation. And that’s what I’m really aiming for in my two sites…generating some in-depth conversations. I think it’s especially important to talk about solitude because our modern culture doesn’t value it.

    I’m looking forward to reading your posts, Tina, Danny and Bob.

    David has already extended the conversation at Engaging the Disquiet by inviting more people to join, so you might look there, too.

  9. Pingback: Being alone - are you comfortable with yourself? « Brighter Days for you and me!

  10. Derrick Kwa says:

    Hey Jean,

    Thanks for including me in this. I’m currently in Boston. Was in Greenville since Sunday, where I didn’t have connection to the internet. I’ll do this soon, maybe tomorrow or something, after I’m a bit more settled. =).

    Derrick

  11. Jean says:

    I’m looking forward to your post, Derrick. Thanks.

    And as I mentioned on your site, Shirley, I was touched by yours. Thanks again.

  12. Steve Mills says:

    It certainly is all an adventure. Great post

  13. Pingback: Lonely in a Crowd : Be Inspired Every Day

  14. MichelleVan says:

    Great post and thanks for tagging me Jean. I’ve been with extended family on and off for more than three weeks now, and I love it, but I’ve lost my alone time and am starting to feel a bit frantic and out of touch with myself. I don’t ‘meditate’ in the traditional way, yet hours of alone time, walking, or sitting or even just puttering around the house are important times for me to think and ponder. I’m blogging on this post tomorrow and will explore my own feelings and thoughts over there.
    Thanks for including me and I too appreciate your ‘conversational’ attitude.

  15. Pingback: Lost in Space? | Conscious Destiny!

  16. Pingback: On Being Alone « every, every minute

  17. Pingback: Lost in Space

  18. Pingback: Hero's Journey

  19. Abu Aremu says:

    Jean,

    As usual, this is an interesting post. I beleve loneliness is purely an activity of the mind. It’s purely a feeling, perhaps from an immediate occurrence or an incident that has been witnessed by the perceiver in the past.

    I also beleive we are all part of the infinite. And the infinite is the force that links all human beings. And it is the infinite that associates us in our mastermind alliances.

    My full reaction will come up later in my blog today. Thanks

    Abu

  20. Hi Jean,

    Thanks for tagging me.
    My new article today is on a similar topic and I’ve linked to you (not sure why the trackback is now showing up).

    You can read the article here: The Secret to Self Loving

    🙂

    Love & Gratitude,
    Tina
    Think Simple. Be Decisive.
    ~ Productivity, Motivation & Happiness

  21. Pingback: Are You Connected?

  22. Pingback: The Secret to Self Loving | Think Simple. Be Decisive.

  23. Pingback: cheerfulmonk.com » Building a Solid Foundation

  24. Pingback: cheerfulmonk.com » Staying in Tune

  25. bikehikebabe says:

    When I first was married, I thought my husband’s job was to entertain me. Ha,ha!
    Kids in school, then kids gone from home, husband at work. Most of my life has been alone. I learned to like it. (This blog is nice for connection.) I think of the Expanding Universe in relation to me. Totally INCOMPREHENSIBLE!!!

  26. Jean,

    Thank you for sharing this post with me. At the moment I still feel empty and scared when I think of my insignificance in comparison to the size of the universe.

    I wonder if the emptiness is a starting place, from which you can start being filled? Do most of us end up filling ourselves with meaningless junk, like fast food – quickly satisfying, but no real nutrition.

    Thanks for making me think.

    David

  27. bikehikebabe says:

    Please David, Cut out the sugar & fat. Fill up on fruits & vegetables. It’s a habit. Soon you won’t like sweet, fat food.

  28. Jean says:

    David,
    I think that’s a good analogy. Are you familiar with Calvin and Hobbes cartoons (http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/)? One of my favorites starts with Calvin and Hobbes outside looking at the night sky, awed by how small they are in comparison to the universe. Then Hobbes the tiger says, “It makes you wonder why humans think they’re such big, screaming deals.” They go into the house and Calvin sits down in a big arm chair in front of the TV. He smiles and says, “That’s why we have our appliances.” Watterson clearly believed most of us do fill our lives up with junk.

    Even though my experience was scary, it kept me from falling into that trap. I know what you mean about feeling scared and empty…that’s exactly how I felt. I’m glad now that it happened. As you say, it’s a starting point.

    bikehikebabe,
    As I understand it, David wasn’t talking about food at all. He was talking about how we fill the time we have on this earth. Do you fill any of yours with junk activities and thoughts…for instance, getting frustrated with people? If so, why is that harder to change than your switching to vegetables instead of junk food? That’s a great topic for reflection and discussion!

  29. Jean says:

    David,
    I think that’s a good analogy. Are you familiar with Calvin and Hobbes cartoons ( http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/ )? One of my favorites starts with Calvin and Hobbes outside looking at the night sky, awed by how small they are in comparison to the universe. Then Hobbes the tiger says, “It makes you wonder why humans think they’re such big, screaming deals.” They go into the house and Calvin sits down in a big arm chair in front of the TV. He smiles and says, “That’s why we have our appliances.” Watterson clearly believed most of us do fill our lives up with junk.

    Even though my experience was scary, it kept me from falling into that trap. I know what you mean about feeling scared and empty…that’s exactly how I felt. I’m glad now that it happened. As you say, it’s a starting point.

    bikehikebabe,
    As I understand it, David wasn’t talking about food at all. He was talking about how we fill the time we have on this earth. Do you fill any of yours with junk activities and thoughts…for instance, getting frustrated with people? If so, why is that harder to change than your switching to vegetables instead of junk food? That’s a great topic for reflection and discussion!

  30. bikehikebabe says:

    Jean, Gotcha!
    I am working on not getting frustrated with my husband–He’s such a wonderful guy! But when David referred to filling up on fast food, I had to address that. Look at everybody, even the kids. FAT! They couldn’t feel well or live long enough to enjoy life to the fullest.

  31. Jean says:

    bikehikebabe,
    My point is how can you say a change would be easy for someone else? Especially for someone you don’t even know. Personal change can be complicated, so one way of understanding it is to look at areas of our life where change is easy and where it is hard. Talking about how other people should change their lives can be fun, but we don’t learn much from it. To use David’s analogy, it’s junk food for the mind and spirit.

    Being frustrated because someone doesn’t act the way we would like keeps us from enjoying life to the fullest, too.

  32. bikehikebabe says:

    Jean, how can I say change is easy for someone else? I don’t. Changes are hard for us all. We have habits. I don’t learn much saying people need to eat their veggies, but I can try & educate them of the importance.

  33. Jean says:

    bikehikebabe,
    Thanks for continuing the discussion. I suppose what i really mean is I want this site to be a place where people can talk about what’s going on in their lives without being lectured or given advice. I try hard to stick to what works for me and to encourage other people to talk about what works for them. This site is about sharing, not lecturing. Do you see the difference?

  34. bikehikebabe says:

    Yes, I sure do see the difference.
    What works for me is to eat all the right stuff and exercise a lot.

  35. Jean says:

    bikehikebabe,
    🙂 Thank you! That’s more in the spirit of this blog.

  36. RobertHilton says:

    As far as “food” for thought, you have deffinatly filled my belly-brain!

  37. Pingback: A Great Place to Learn Humility — Transforming Stress Into Personal Power

Comments are closed.