Our existence is awe inspiring. However, it’s easy to take so much of this life for granted–even our uniqueness. This guided meditation by Tony Brady on the “Insight Timer” app is another tool to help us integrate this into our being–further supporting/validating our healthy boundary journey.
“Dear friends, welcome to this period of quiet reflection designed to remind you of the unique person you are. Yes, you are only one of 7 billion people on earth–but understand this for certain–you are unique and irreplaceable.
An opening intention: I come into this place to remind me to take a moment on the forming edge of my life to resist the headlong tumble into the next moment until I claim for myself awareness and gratitude– until I take time to look out into the great world around me and see in that world a community awaiting my unique contribution.
Become aware of your presence in this room at this time. Close your eyes, notice your breath. Place your hand on your chest. Notice your heartbeat giving life. And for the next few seconds experience a feeling of gratitude for being here. A feeling of thankfulness for these quiet moments.
Your existence here is really something quite remarkable. As you know, you are composed of billions upon billions of atoms and subatomic particles which somehow make you who you are.
As Bere Brison in his book “A Brief History of Merely Everything” colorfully describes it ‘if someone took a tweezers and removed atom after atom until all your atoms were rearranged in a single heap, he would be left with a heap of atoms–none living or conscious but in their previous state of togetherness went to make you who you are–a living, thinking, conscious human being’.
People are much more than the sum total of their parts. For that we should be profoundly thankful so let us spend some time in a state of quiet gratitude for the wonder of our being.
Next, it might be useful to realize that your combination of atoms listening to (reading) this and my combination of atoms putting this reflection together are (like all people) totally and completely unique.
You are here now–no one in the whole world is exactly like you. No one has ever been the same as you and no one ever will be just like you. You are truly a ‘one of’. No other person has your unique life experience, no one has your exact talents, your skills, your feelings. Your life and your unique existence is quite incredible. So let’s rest a while in thankfulness of the amazing fact of your uniqueness.
Our distinctiveness demonstrates the fact that no one can do exactly what you are able to do. No other person can make a contribution to society that you are able to make in this short life during which your unique combination of atoms holds together. This life represents your extraordinary ‘popping into being’ and your chance to play your distinctive part in the whole history of this amazing universe.
And just think of the combination of coupling reaching back over centuries, over millennia which finally resulted in you being born to your parents. Any break in that sequence, any slight change in timing, any different sperm being divorced to make contact with any awaiting egg–then someone else would be listening (reading) this meditation–not you. Of course, any such change on my side would mean that no would be listening to this particular moment of reflection, because, I like just you, would not be here.
Our presence here is wonderful and to be aware of it is awe inspiring. With all our faults we are special and with mindfulness we can hopefully minimize the less attractive aspects of our character.
This thought comes from GK Jesselton: “Here ends another day during which I have had eyes, ears, hands and the great world around me. Tomorrow begins another day–why am I allowed two–why indeed, why was I even allowed one? Now what will I do with this one short amazing life?”
Namaste my friends, Namaste!