Are You Significant?

Have you sat outside on a warm summers evening and looked up at a clear night sky? I find it serene and relaxing looking at the stars and constellations. Sometimes I’ll see a  satellite crawl across the night sky, it is insignificant and can be wiped out in a nanosecond. Down here that same satellite, travelling up to an incredible 18,000mph, is signifant to the significance of many individuals far below. Occasionally some space junk will burn up in the atmosphere, a “shooting star”, and I make a wish. Maybe it will come true, maybe it won’t, but a positive thought is always a good thing.

I am thinking about the stars today after hearing an entertaining New Scientist podcast that I just heard. In an interview with the Theoretical Physicist, Dr. Paul Wesson, it became apparent based on mathematical analysis, that we may ourselves be inside a “super massive black hole”. When ‘things’ go into a black hole they are never seen again, but that doesn’t justify the popular belief that everything going in is destroyed. Black holes, like the known universe, are growing as more goes in. It was discussed in the interview that the vacuum into which our universe  – our black hole? – is itself growing, theoretically filling even bigger universe.

Try to imagine the “super massive” numbers and distances so vast that it would take a thousand lifetimes just to reach the nearest star in our galaxy (not including our sun). Imagine the size of the ‘outer universe’ in which our ‘black hole’ resides, if that’s what it is, then the immortal line “She cannae take any more captain” comes to mind. it’s just mind-boggling!

Relative to these figures, are you significant? I should hope you say no because an unchecked ego is a very dangerous thing. On a scale we can get our heads round – among your peers, are you significant?

It is important I feel to distinguish between significance and narcissism. If you live in a large country, then your country’s leader is significant on a global scale. Few of us can achieve this level, but I never say never.

For most of us, we need to focus on increasing our significance, however it is very important to maintain control over our ego. An ego that is unchallenged and never questioned is an ego in danger of making the individual delusional. It is healthy to have your ideas questioned and challenged, especially by those more successful in your field of endeavour.

There is no point in lying to yourself, so answer yourself this question. Is there anyone near you who can or does a better job of what you do than you? I’ll tell you the answer now is a resounding yes! In reality there will always be a ‘bigger fish’, be they a rival personally, a business competitor, or even your government.

In effect we are in fact all significant to another person. Probably to family members, maybe to someone you will never meet, for example of you are blood donor, but even so we are all significant and important to others.

However, to succeed in life we need to be significant to more than just friends and family. Significance does not mean being the best, the greatest, or whatever your ego wants you to be. Significance, at whatever level, is about being the best you can be.

Anyone can be signicant beyond those who know them, all you have do is look around at those fulfilling your dreams and follow their example. Learn from them, do as they do, and your dreams will too come true.