You are a child of the universe,

no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. 

- Max Ehrmann, from “Desiderata”

 

The atoms that make us - well - us, are are born from the universe. The fundamental building blocks within us are within every single thing on this earth, and within everything in the known universe. Quite literally, we are born from stars. 

 

Despite this connection, there are times when it seems like the universe is simply out to get us. Nothing goes right, the stars don’t align, and life crashes hard. It happens to us all. You get fired, lose a job, a relationship fails, or you fall into debt. 

 

However, the long, crazy, and improbable history of this planet led you to this moment, where you are reading the words on this webpage. We all have those thoughts. The, “if I just had a little bit more money to pay off that bill,” or “if I could have done things a bit differently, it would all be better”. These thoughts distract us from our current moment, and all of the opportunities that lay within it. 

 

Bad things will always happen in this world. We get diagnosed with cancer, or a loved one dies too soon. There is a time to grieve and to recognize the pain and suffering. But there is also a time to motivate ourselves in spite of these setbacks. Often, the only control we have is how we respond to a situation.

 

The universe unfolds as it should. If we make the most of our own opportunities, don’t sweat our mistakes, and simply laugh at life once in awhile - we can start to recognize that there is no place in life we would rather be, then in this moment, right now.