Last night, I witnessed nature's beauty firsthand. After weeks of grueling work and bottled up emotion, my friends and I decided to enjoy a lavish dinner near the lake. With numerous priorities racing through my head, I was eager to spend time with my closest friends.

We finished dinner quickly because one of my friends recently purchased a telescope. He was anxious to show us the jaw-dropping beauty of space. Initially, I was hesitant to sacrifice any additional time away from my demanding job, however, I suspected this cosmic experience merited my undivided attention. I resisted the temptation to return to work and embarked on a truly remarkable adventure.

After a restless drive to the lake, we assembled and calibrated the telescope before peering into the vast galaxy above. Anxiously waiting my turn, I spotted a small glow of light appear on the distant horizon. Rising out of the lake, like a surfacing vessel, we were shocked to realize the light was actually the moon. Hidden within the heavy blanket of mist covering the skyline, the small glimmer of light emerged into an immense cosmic satellite. The Moon's displayed an orangish-maroon color visible for miles. Numerous cars slowly drove past our stargazing station just to glimpse at the beauty of such an enormous spectacle.

As my friends and I waited for the moon to rise, we scanned the night sky for nearby planets. Luckily, the telescope detected that Mars and Saturn were in sight. As the lens of this cosmic detective focused on the neighboring planets, my heart raced with rising anticipation. I peered into the scope and immediately felt a rush of chills throughout my body. I was staring at a planet I believed was too large to fathom yet there it rested. Although I could barely recognize the distant planet, I was still observing one of the most beautiful objects in space. As for Saturn, it was mind-boggling to truly witness the actual rings around this cosmic giant. My perspective on life instantly changed simply because I appreciated something bigger than myself.

Many individuals overlook the infinite stars and planets scattered throughout our solar system. But nature never fails to inspire. I walked into this stargazing experience with minimal excitement due to the overwhelming tasks at hand. I was only concerned with resolving personal issues instead of searching for a more constructive and relaxing outlet. Life is a constant ordeal filled with persistent surprises and pivotal decisions. Too often, we lose perspective toward what truly matters in our lives.

We allow work and other commitments to cloud our better judgment. We enable these priorities to prohibit us from experiencing genuine happiness. And most importantly, we convince ourselves to take the easy way out of situations in order to evade the true problem. We place ourselves on pedestals and thrones without remain humble. We become quick-tempered and ultimately make rash decisions due to arrogance and fear of failure. Instead, take a moment to enjoy something bigger than yourself and eventually you will realize how trivial those problems are in comparison to the grandeur of life's natural beauty.