You're not that important but you are the centre of the universe....

I came across something from Danielle Laporte tonight that I found fascinating. She put forward the following two ideas:

YOU'RE NOT THAT IMPORTANT

This is Part One of a two part exercise. Repeat: this is not a philosophical declaration to carry around in your heart. Rather, it's a soul-teaser to wind through your bean and shake up some thought forms.

The world will go on if
: you don't show up at work.
: you don't post to your blog tomorrow.
: you cancel the meeting.
: you stay in bed all day.
: you don't sign the contract.
: you don't answer the phone.
: you don't check your email.
: you leave town.

CEO, #1, Captain, President, The Leader.
Who cares. It's just business, moving parts, day to day. You can be replaced.

Mother. Father. Teacher.
Aside from single parents caring for little ones, you're just not the only influence in your children's lives. They may not even want to stick around when they grow up. You may never be thanked. They will find their way with or without you.

Lover. Partner. So-called Significant Other.
Replaceable. And God knows, as a partner, you can certainly be improved upon.

You're one in a about six and half billion. A speck. A blink in the eye of God. A nano micro weeny zip in the eons of time and vastness of space. No one's happinessreally depends on you - no one's. People can take care of themselves like they always have. It's most likely that one hundred years from now, nobody will so much as mention your name.

You're just passing through, and times flies.

Life will go on with or without you.

How does it feel to consider that?

YOU ARE THE CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE

This is part 2 of the exercise

So much is because of you. The letters you've written and sent, the touches, the kisses, the parties. Every grain of advice, set of directions, every breakfast for guests. That quarter you tossed into a panhandlers hat could have facilitated the call that turned it all around. Little kindnesses, grand gestures. The doing of your being imprinting place and time. Inevitably.

Consider everything you've ever been thanked for.
Every photo you've been in.
Every corner you've turned.
Every time you've signed your name.

Consider that you radiate. At all times. Consider that what you're feeling right now is rippling outward into a field of is-ness that anyone can dip their oar into. You are felt. You are heard. You are seen. If you were not here, the world would be different. Because of your presence, the universe is expanding.

How does it feel to consider that?

What struck me when I read this was how both ideas are true but how easy it is to lose sight of them. Life totally goes on whether we do any of the things listed or not - but we so easily fall into the habit of thinking we 'have' to do everything. That we can't stay home from work if we're sick, that we must be contactable everywhere we go, that we can't take one day each week or even every now and then for ourselves. But we absolutely can. The times I have been acutely aware of this has been during periods when I have been ill - most recently, when I went through postnatal depression. The thought of all those daily things and bits and pieces not being done was initially unfathomable. But when it came to the crunch and I had no choice but to remove myself from everyday life as I had known it, the world did not end. I pretty much dropped out of my usual existence for a good number of weeks/months and life went on. Funny that....

On the flip side, I love the idea that we are the centre of the universe - but for all those reasons that really matter (you know the ones we often don't stop to think twice about or the ones we take for granted). How amazing is the impact we can have on the world around us from just 'being'. The letters you've written and sent, the touches, the advice - so beautiful and empowering when you stop to think about it.