Based off of an estimate of 10 trillion galaxies in the universe with an estimated 100 billion stars each put the number of stars at around 100 octillion, or 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. As of 1 January 2018, there are 3,726 confirmed planets in 2,792 systems. Many of them having more than one planet in their system. Even if you took a conservative estimate of 5 planets per system that would be 500 octillion planets. I guess my point is where're insignificant, the universe doesn't give a stuff about our tiny boring little corner of existence. Regardless of how good or bad you think you life is, it counts for nothing. You life is just a roll of the dice. Some people get lucky and get to enjoy their fleeting existence but the majority just get ground back into the dust from whence they came.
Appreciate the life you have
- Thread starter Sliver
- Start date
Associate
- Joined
- 28 May 2017
- Posts
- 1,122
- Location
- Aberdeen
I thought so, I’m at the same point as you. Agree about the second chapter. It’s funny that he writes like he talks - going over all sorts of different topics.
The book is very relevant to this topic though.
sounds reasonable but doesn't really work like that, does it
actually...it's annoying when people come out with.....'oh, but we never used to have xyz'....well...we do now, so if it's not working then it's a problem!
It's this acceptance of 'things don't work like that' where people miss the trick. Nobody is saying life is perfect. That's completely missing the point.
Associate
- Joined
- 1 Sep 2013
- Posts
- 1,523
Doesn't this still go on in scotland
Associate
- Joined
- 15 Oct 2015
- Posts
- 1,480
Is it the "12 Rules of Life" book you are talking about?
Associate
- Joined
- 3 Mar 2014
- Posts
- 36
- Location
- Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
I like the post. I should really relax more but I'm just way too hot-tempered.
Associate
- Joined
- 19 Jun 2009
- Posts
- 1,306
I have recently failed an exam. This is the second time I have failed it and the third time I have failed an exam in less than a year. For the first day I was quite miserable since I can’t progress in my career as a result. On face value I worked the hardest I have ever worked and sacrificed a lot and it felt like I failed at life. My thinking now is no matter how small or trivial an achievement or success is (be it friends, family, finance or career) you must be endeavour to cherish or celebrate it because the opportunity to do so might disappear quickly.
Yes, that book. I was describing chapter 2.
You might not miss what you don't know but it in no way detracts from the facts of my post that life was harder for our ancestors.
This is exactly the reason why the kind of introspection in the op doesn't work, at least not for more than a few minutes. You may as well compare yourself to an antelope trying to survive in the wild.
The issue we have with the advancement of society is that we acclimatise ourselves to it, and we fill in the empty spaces of fear / desire / sadness with things that are relative.
If you were to compare the brain activity of a caveman wishing he could find the next meal, would it really be that different from an individual stuck in an office with no immediate access to food and under immense pressure to finish his current project? Some might argue that the office worker induces more stress/anxiety upon themselves.
Why not just be thankful in general? For a variety of reasons?
It sure beats getting wound up over trivial things.
We live in an age of information overload, it's easy to get lost and not appreciate things, even the simple things. it's also easy to moan about others rather than take responsibility for one's own actions/life.
Associate
- Joined
- 29 May 2003
- Posts
- 2,038
- Location
- Cambridge
As someone who has spent a lot of the last five months occasionally feeling sorry for himself due to the collapse of his marriage, I have to say the OP resonated with me a fair bit and is now far more indicative of my thought processes.
Yes, I still have a way to go before I'm truly happy again - getting the divorce over with, finding a bachelor pad to rent and at some stage (many months away - starting to like my freedom too much) starting a new relationship - but I am grateful for what I have at this particular moment ... I still have a roof over my head, food in the cupboard, the job I've been in for 18 years. There's plenty that would kill for that. The only thing I've lost is my life partner - my destiny, for the immediate future, is in my own hands for the first time since my early 20s and that change is actually refreshing.
I'm trying to make positive use of the time - my diet is being overhauled, I've drastically cut back on alcohol and I've taken up weight training again for the first time in at least 20 years. My marriage is over - it's very much at the 'rotting corpse' stage where it will get toxic if we hang about any longer - so my task is to prepare myself for the next chapter of my life. Once the divorce is over, I'm seriously considering visiting either a psychiatrist or hypnotist to get myself back to 100% mentally-speaking ... which rather assumes I was ever mentally 100% in the first place!
Yes, I still have a way to go before I'm truly happy again - getting the divorce over with, finding a bachelor pad to rent and at some stage (many months away - starting to like my freedom too much) starting a new relationship - but I am grateful for what I have at this particular moment ... I still have a roof over my head, food in the cupboard, the job I've been in for 18 years. There's plenty that would kill for that. The only thing I've lost is my life partner - my destiny, for the immediate future, is in my own hands for the first time since my early 20s and that change is actually refreshing.
I'm trying to make positive use of the time - my diet is being overhauled, I've drastically cut back on alcohol and I've taken up weight training again for the first time in at least 20 years. My marriage is over - it's very much at the 'rotting corpse' stage where it will get toxic if we hang about any longer - so my task is to prepare myself for the next chapter of my life. Once the divorce is over, I'm seriously considering visiting either a psychiatrist or hypnotist to get myself back to 100% mentally-speaking ... which rather assumes I was ever mentally 100% in the first place!
I got killed by another player playing a video game, I was so angry and filled with rage because my team mates couldn't play properly and allowed us to lose. It's after moments like that I meditate and reflect on my actions and think to myself thank god those who can't afford gaming PC's or simply don't have them don't have to go through the terrible experiences that I do.
Exactly right, especially with the male suicide epidemic that's plaguing the western world people are so caught up in their lives they don't see an escape. Then again it's easy to fall in the trap of monotony and once you become isolated it's easy to believe there is no coming back.