The image above is a picture that the hubble telescope (now new and improved) has taken of the Sombrero Galaxy.
Each one of the lights in this image is either a Star which in turn could have a solar system rotating around it. Or it could be a galaxy like the sombrero galaxy pictured above that contains millions upon millions of solar systems.
The universe is vast… and expanding. The earth will be destroyed in a few million years… in the far future too far for me to care. In reality I’m still amazed that I can check my email from my phone. I think of the future my daughter will see. Will it have profound technological jumps. Will she ever have to worry about cavities or her kids having crocked teeth.
Will you ever get over your OCD like neuroses (probably miss-pelt) of how there is a spot in the garden that doesn’t have grass grow in it… and why it won’t fix itself.
To each and everyone of us… the world is seen through their perspective. The galaxies and all that God has created rotate around them.
Me included. I care not about events… if they don’t effect me. I don’t move until I or my own are threatened.
The conference I went to in Vienna was about the treatment of people with Schizophrenia. The medications they use are all called atypical (they don’t know how they work… but they do) and its not enough for them to reintegrate into society just be taking a drug. It is a long process of healing mind, body and soul.
I know a friend of a friend who was inflicted with severe OCD … obsessive compulsive disorder… he isolated himself from the rest of the world. He shunned human contact. He’s slowly getting better… and we recently introduced him to the internet…. he’s spent the last 10 years in isolation.
How we deal with loss and how we deal with gain is a window into who we are on the inside. Do we thank God for that which he has bestowed on us or do we become self rightous and ignore even the feeling of thankfulness for what he has given us. Do we show grace under pressure or do we shake our fists at heaven like that will somehow bring back what we have lost.
I ask you oh community of Voice Over Professionals. Be thankful. God has given you the gift of voice… a gift he has kept from many others from our kind. He has given you a source of income that others only dream of having. When a producer decides to chose you for a job… it could be for the strangeness of your name … or for a quality in your voice that reminds the producer of her favorite teacher… or her most feared villian (depending on the job).
All these possibilities were put into play and ultimately you were chosen for this job which tens … if not hundreds of people… were considered for.
You got it because God wanted you to get it… Be thankful.
Be thankful for his gift… and what your gift has allowed you to have.
Be thankful for your family… and the time you have left with them.
Be thankful and act upon this thanks by being a better person. Be thankful by showing appreciation and forgiveness when you have the ability.
Be thankful… but when you forget… look up to the stars and think… to him who created the universe and all that is in it…
I give thanks
Taji
What a beautiful blog Taji! And oh so timely. Last night I was taking my Australian Shepherd Roxanne outside & I looked up to the skies. Staring at the half moon and the constellations I could pick out. And in the cold night, I felt so close to God… Asking him as I do every night to show me the way to make this world a better place, to help teach my daughter to be the best person she can be, to be a better person myself, to understand what God wants of me & to be closer to him… Staring into the vast universe, the waves & powerfulness of the oceans & being secluded in nature are places that I have always felt so incredibly close to God. It is such an amazing & peaceful feeling. You can truly see & feel the beauty that God meant for this world. We should indeed be thankful for the things that God has bestowed upon us… We are indeed blessed. Sending good thoughts & love your way dear friend.
I echo Michelle’s sentiment, Taji you always make us think with your blogs! I am frequently reminded, when I need to be, that no matter what I may be going through personally it is quite small compared to the ultimate big picture that God has intended for all of us. The shootings at FT Hood also recently put things into perspective for me as well.
Thanks for keeping me grounded Taji!
How easy it is to get caught up in our personal lives that we never see the bigger picture. Between work, school and family, not to mention the ongoing drive to succeed and keep up with the Joneses, we often miss what is right in front of us – or above our heads.
I feel so blessed to be living here. I was struck right away by the vastness and beauty of the lush rolling green hills that surround us. See my blog (http://voiceover-casting.com/twilightrunner/blog/articles/standing-out-from-the-crowd/) for the description and picture.
Twice a day, right on cue, our 89-year-old neighbor, Andy, walks his dog, Nicole, for their 2 mile trek. With his walker, he makes his way through the greenbelt directly across the street, a perfect walking path for us. And although he will never win any speed races, you could set your watch by him. He takes his rest break right outside the kitchen window. How lucky we are to live in 70-90 degree weather year-round.
Each night when I come home, I check the outside gates to make sure everything is locked and secure. I gaze up at the clear blue night sky and see the twinkling stars above me. I look across the way at the greenbelt illuminated by tonight’s moonlight. I got a real surprise on the night of July 7, 2007 (7/7/07!) when I came home to see a shooting star in the sky.
My family and I visited Griffith Observatory about 2 years ago, and that really taught us that space is so far beyond our grasp and understanding – but amazing nonetheless.
Did you know that even the slightest deviation – a mere tiny tilt of the earth in one direction – and the entire species would either freeze to death or burn up? And that when you drink from your bottled water, you are actually consuming tiny bits of dinosaur that walked the earth hundreds of thousands of years ago? It’s that most perfect delicate balance that keeps us alive each and every day.
We will never truly understand the mysteries of the universe, but we can surely appreciate them.
While we are here, we must truly live in the present – this moment, right here, right now, make the absolute most of every moment, every breath, every interaction we are blessed with on this earth. Be truly present and enjoy every given moment because that moment will never come again.