Time to Reflect

Happy New Year! To kick off my series of columns this year, I’m sharing an excerpt from the final chapter of the book I’ve been writing for the past few years. This passage is a reflection on curiosity — and on learning to balance what we know with what we don’t and possibly won’t know. It’s a reminder to appreciate the time we have and to remember what matters most in the grand scheme of it all. I hope it inspires you to reflect for a few moments as the new year begins.

— BA

It’s always amazed me that, out of the millions of species on this planet, humans are the only ones with an insatiable sense of curiosity and the innate desire (not to mention the physical ability) to ask Why?

From measuring picometers between atoms to the light years between celestial bodies, we have gone (and continue to go) to unimaginable lengths to investigate and understand the unknown. We are persistent in our questions: Is this an accident? Is it the result of synchronicity or a divine kind of happenstance?

Why are certain gifts given to some but not others? What are the lessons here? Do other creatures hold answers to these secrets, but they just can’t tell us?

With the understanding that some things are beyond our comprehension and that there will always be answers that evade us, it becomes our life’s work to balance all we know with what we don’t — to keep seeking a greater understanding while enjoying our time here and the beautiful experience of being human.

I am fascinated by the science and psychology of this, intrigued by how we arrived at our place here on Earth. And my interest in the miracle and potential of our human existence only grows. There are days when I am in awe of both what I’ve personally come to understand and what we’ve collectively discovered as a civilization.

We are persistent in our questions: Is this an accident? Is it the result of synchronicity or a divine kind of happenstance?

The most important thing I’ve learned? How little we actually know. Think about it: Relative to the universe, Earth is unimaginably small. Yet despite its minuscule size, we continue to think it’s important to know why we are here.

We dig and dig, wanting to know what happened billions of years ago. We think ahead, innovating so we can move forward and learning how to not only survive but thrive on this planet.

We are eager to embrace the here and now and contribute to the future; we are intrigued to know what happens once we’re gone.

I’m not the first, nor will I be the last, to wonder about our existence and what happens when our time is up. Poets, scientists, philosophers, and astronomers have studied, pondered, and hypothesized about this. It’s not a secret that life is fleeting, so it’s important that we remember:

Time goes fast, so make the most of it. Take the time to know who you are and be grateful for the gifts you’ve been given.

Maximize your strengths. Acknow­ledge your weaknesses.

Pay attention — to the moun­tains, oceans, trees, birds, rivers. Protect fellow humans and fellow species. Guard the planet. Give more than you take and put relationships before everything.

Take risks. Make decisions. Welcome challenges, obstacles, and hardships.

Thank your teachers for gifting you some of life’s greatest lessons.

Give it your all without tak­ing it all too seriously. Be tough and strong yet sweet and hum­ble. Be sensible and sincere yet laugh uncontrollably.

We’re in this together, more alike than we are different. Let’s work toward collective goals, dream dreams, and set intentions. Find joy in our accomplishments.

It’s a magical ride, this exper­ience called life. It will startle you, how quickly you travel it. In a moment, you are gone. Again, the inexplicable.

This is your time in this universe. So, live — aware you are nothing, yet confident you are everything.