Now all the following topics you may rarely think about in depth, you may just accept that they're there, with little to no thought put in. When you step back, really dissect, and let your mind wander through each topic, you'll be surprised how intriguing they really are.
1. History
I think it’s pretty crazy we only experience a small chunk of history. I mean think about it. America wasn't founded until 1492. The country we live in was only inhabited by a small group of natives. Now millions of people inhabit this country. Illinois was once plains and prairies. Now, the city of Chicago casts it’s shadow over millions.
Thousands of years ago, writing was all picture; marks in clay that people used to communicate. Now, you can send a text message and have someone receive it within a second across the world (and in countless languages).
From wars, concentration camps, the building of the pyramids, racism, the first president of the United States of America, 9/11, and so on, this world has seen so much. It doesn't just blow my mind that these things happened, but more that people have experienced these moments in history.
Someone like us was there fighting in wars, on the battlefield, with guns, swords, face to face interaction, seeing people get killed and suffer. Someone like us was there when George Washington took office. Someone like us was there as a slave to a pharaoh in Egypt. Someone was a slave, beaten and taken advantage of in the recent past. Someone was on their phone telling their spouse how much they loved them when the plane hit the World Trade Center. Someone jumped out the building before it went down.
We are here for such a short amount of time. We experience so much change and so many significant moments, that people in 10, 20, 100 years never will quite know like you and me. If that doesn’t blow your mind. I don't know what will.
2. A Human Being
People often take life for guaranteed. Hell, most of us don’t even think about how magnificent they are. I’m talking the mechanics, the biology, the brain, everything.
You start out inside your mother. You grow and you’re brought into this world. Now, birth is something that also blows my mind. You start out so small, so helpless, not knowing anything besides “nature”. You grow and develop, learn a language, a complex yet so simple way of communication, learn different skills, and physical grow.
The human body is so mind blowing to me because of how incredibly detailed it is. You have this thing called a brain. Your brain is spectacular. It can store information. It’s what allows you to feel emotion. It’s what tells your lungs to work and your feet to move.
Do ever stop to think "How does my brain do these things?" Well, ask your doctor, because I have no idea. Did you know when you see something your eyes take the picture in upside down? The brain actually flips and interprets the image so quickly there's no delay. You don’t need to look at something and wait a minute, or even second, to determine what it is. Your brain does it instantaneously. Your brain determines if memories should be kept or not. Long term or short term. It picks how relevant it is, how important it is to you, and decides if it should stay or go. The brain is so crazy complex, I can’t even explain.
You have blood vessels: arteries, capillaries, and veins, if attached end by end, they would stretch over 100,000 miles. Instead that “100,000 miles” is packed into your frame. The acid in your stomach would burn your skin to the touch. It can even dissolve a razor blade. Based on your gender, your body is structured differently. You grow old, age, lose taste buds, and bone density decreases. You may begin to lose some function you had in your younger days; but, the amount of work your body went through, the amount of things your brain read, your eyes saw, your mouth spoke, the amount of blood pumped, and the number of breaths you took, this was all done by YOU.
A human being. A beautiful, extremely complex, mind-blowing phenomenon.
3. An Individual
No one will ever be exactly like you. No one will experience pain, sorrow, joy, or love quite like you.
We are each so unique we are given our own thumbprint and even tongue print, No one has the exact same! You will never be able to see yourself through someone else’s eyes. You are where you are and someone on the other side of the world is living a completely different life compared to you. You may never meet them, never know their story, see how they live, or what their culture is like.
From rich beyond belief to dying of hunger and living in poverty, you may not experience either of these things. Someone does. Many people do. Every person was made so different. No one is quite the same and with the billions of people in this world, that’s pretty crazy.
4. The Views of This World
I often ask people where they’ve visited and where they would like to go. Most people reply with destinations to sandy beaches or well known European countries. There is so much more to see. There's ruins, architecture, waterfalls, northern lights, jungles, and hidden islands. I want to see every inch of this world. It blows my mind people could care less. It blows my mind that people can go their whole life not seeing what this world has to offer.
Now, it’s hard to write in words how beautiful and breathtaking the view of the world is. I encourage you to take some interest and look up hidden beaches or beautiful Earth views. Just keep in mind you can go see it and experience it in person. Someone took that picture and lived through that sunset, saw those stars, that waterfall, that crystal clear water, or those mountains.
Life is so much more than materialistic items. Spend your money on memories and on traveling.
5. The Universe
Isn't it so crazy our Earth is only the size of a pea in space? We are a part of a galaxy, the milky way, which is a part of a supercluster of galaxies. This universe is so crazy big it’s kind of overwhelming to think how small we really are. Who know’s there could be another “Earth” somewhere far far away with people, maybe people who live under water or aren't as developed as us. The possibilities for other life are there and they're pretty mind-blowing.
6. Religion
Now, whatever religion you believe in, good for you. I’m not here to tell you what to believe. I'm just here to talk about a few different faiths.
Christianity. Pretty cool stuff. A man created everything there is to know, including man, all in seven days. When we die, if we are true believers, we are sent to a place far better than this one. No fighting, no war, no pain. Instead, there are streets of gold and a place just for you.
Many Indian people believe in reincarnation. Once you die, you are brought back as something else (a dog, a cow, plant, or even another human being). It’s like a fresh start. What you come back as is determined on what kind of person you were in your previous life.
Some people don’t have a religion at all. When you kick the bucket, that’s it. To me, all of this is pretty fascinating. No one will ever truly know what happens once you die, but it’s all about what you believe, your faith.
7. The Future
Just like life after death, we don’t know what the future holds. We don’t know what this Earth will look like in 100 years or 1000 years. We only know the past and the present.
Think about how far we've come, from skyscrapers on land that was once bare, to the first telephone and now iPhones. The future could hold flying cars, people could live way longer with advances in medicine, or there could be war or chaos if we don’t treat this world right.
In all honesty, I think it’s pretty crazy we only truly have this moment. Right here and now. You are not promised tomorrow. That’s why people always say life is too short. Do the things you want to do, see the places you want to see, and live a life worth living. The future is unknown.
