inSignificance

A wise Buddhist said something along these lines: when you add a spoon full of salt in a glass of water, the water becomes unbearably salty. But, when you put that same amount of salt into a lake, it makes no difference. It is a lesson for when we feel drowned in our own sorrow or we give our egos too much importance. We need to remember to expand out horizons, to enlarge our perspective because the world is like the lake and our egos just a cup of water from that lake. These were my thoughts when I looked at my travel mate, walking towards the glacier. There was a constant roaring of the crumbling snow and rocks. It gave me goosebumps. He looked so small against the imposing mountains.
Our breaths were shallow. Each step was an effort. We were at 5000m and we could feel the altitude pressing against our chests.
I felt small and empowered at the same time: InSignificant. After all, I had hiked all the way up there. My body and my spirit were strong enough to carry me all the way up. Slowly, step by step, breath by breath. But then, I realized these mountains have witnessed and will witness hundreds of thousands of souls coming to wonder at their feet. We were just like two grains of sand on a beach. The best way to get perspective on one’s InSignificance on this planet is to go for a walk in nature. Expand your horizon from the wall at home, suffocating you with its blank stare, to the great outdoors filled with colors, noises and grandeur.