Recently I had the amazing fortune to go snorkling in the Great Barrier Reef. Armed with my snorkeling gear, I jumped into the turquoise waters, ready to lose myself in the vibrant underwater world. As I dipped my face below the surface, I was mesmerized by the colorful fish darting around coral reefs and gliding through swaying seaweed.
To the little fish beneath me, I must have seemed enormous—an all-powerful giant with the ability to change the current with a single splash. Some fish swam in circles around me, curious but cautious, while others quickly hid behind rocks, trembling at the presence of this mysterious creature who seemed to rule the waters above and whose shadow looked like the worlds biggest turtle.
It is difficult to not feel powerful in that moment. It is almost as if I had a dominion over this underwater kingdom. Yet, as much as I marveled at the way the fish reacted to my mere presence, I couldn’t stay underwater forever. My breath ran short and my back started to burn so it was time to return to shore.
As I popped my face out of the water something shifted within me. Looking up at the sky, I saw an endless expanse of blue stretching into the infinite. The horizon was vast, and I realized that I was just a speck against the backdrop of the universe. The mountains of Cairns in the distance and the clouds drifting high above suddenly made me feel small, almost insignificant which was quite the contrast to the underwater world I was in just moments ago.
I was reminded again about how perspective changes everything and in any one given moment - my perspective is 100% my reality. In the water, I was a giant, a force to be reckoned with. But above water, I was simply one of many—a single soul, a dot in the grand tapestry of existence.
This moment made me reflect on my place in the world. At times, we may feel powerful, in control, and larger than life, influencing the world around us like giants. Yet, when we step back and view the bigger picture, we see how small we truly are compared to the vastness of the universe.
We all have moments when we feel big and moments when we feel small. True wisdom comes from understanding that all realities are valid and that others might 100% be in their reality which might not currently align with yours. Embrace the times you feel like a giant, but never lose sight of the fact that, in the grand scheme of things, we are all just tiny, interconnected dots in a universe that is endlessly expansive.
So, the next time you feel overwhelmed by your own importance or powerless in the face of life’s enormity, remember my snorkeling adventure. Sometimes, it’s about recognizing that both feelings—being big and being small—are part of what makes us beautifully human.