A supernova is an astrological event that occurs when a massive star is killed in a colossal explosion. Scientists estimate that a supernova only lasts about 100 seconds, however. In this process, the star expels most of its cosmic material at speeds exceeding 67 million miles per hour.
During those 100 seconds, the energy output is so great that it’s comparable to the total energy output of the sun’s 10 billion year lifetime.
Let’s do some quick math.
10 billion years worth of energy divided by 100 seconds equals 100 million years of energy per second. That’s 1 × 1042 joules. That number written out is 43 digits long.
One second can change everything. One second can destroy worlds. One second can mean the difference between life and death. One second can mean the difference between peace and war. One second can mean the difference between Clinton and Trump.
We live in a glorious and prosperous time. Possibilities are endless. Every day, we’re shown brilliant new advances in technology and medicine. We’re told that we can be whatever we want to be. That mentality, however, has cost people one of the most important life skills: appreciating the weight of seemingly passing moments.
It’s so easy to think about next week or next semester, but when is the last time we thought about the next second? When you consider the amount of impact and importance one second can have, the weight of each decision increases exponentially. White or wheat? Shorts or jeans? Accelerator or brake? These seemingly monotonous and unimportant things can have some extreme domino effects that people usually don’t consider.
In retrospect, I believe that everyone can think of moments like this.
I like to think that I’m a pretty good driver, but I believe that I’m in the majority here when I say that I’ve had my share of scares on the road.
I was driving my younger brother to school one winter’s day in Northern Wisconsin. At the end of our road, there’s a small hill before our road intersects the county highway. This particular morning, the far side of that hill was covered in glassy ice due to the sun beating down on it, melting the snow and then it refreezing.
I came over the hill going a perfectly reasonable speed and when I saw the ice, I gently pressed down on the brake pedal but the damage was already done. The ice was so slick and the incline was so steep that my wheels completely locked up and the car started to spin.
I tried my best to straighten the wheel, but the slippery asphalt had different plans. While this was happening, I distinctly remember a Chevy pickup truck flying by on the highway, just a few yards ahead of my car, going at least 55 miles per hour.
The car, in its reckless spin, slid out onto the highway, eventually gaining some traction on the dry pavement. I stopped the vehicle and looked at my 13-year-old brother. His face was absolutely petrified with fear. I laughed, made a stupid joke and we drove away.
It wasn’t until after that day that I realized, had we gotten to that hill a moment earlier, that truck could have very well t-boned us at 55 miles per hour.
I don’t know what would have happened. I don’t even know what side of the car the truck would have hit. But I do know that the difference was made by one little second.
Not all of these precious seconds are as dramatic. Especially when you consider things we don’t see. One second fumbling in the dark can make the difference between a sperm reaching an egg or not. One second of spilled coffee on a boss’s shirt can make the difference between you getting hired or not. One second of too much heat can make the difference between delicious candy and a burned, smoking, ruined pot full of acrid sugar.
So, from my soapbox, I’ll leave with a call to action.
When you’re finished reading this, think about all of the seconds that have defined you. The seconds that have fortified your character. The seconds that completely changed the way you perceived someone. The seconds that have terrified you more than anything else. Think about all the times you could have made a different choice and then think about how your life could possibly be dramatically changed.
Every second is a gift and every second is a challenge, but most importantly, every second is a choice. Every second is an opportunity to grow or to shrink. To succeed or fail. To live or die.
Every second matters. So take every second captive.
