How Important Is It?

Olympus Mons, at over 15 miles (25,000 metres or 82,000 feet) high, is easily the Solar System’s largest mountain. This volcano on Mars is striking as we consider what a mount that dwarfs Everest would look like. Yet, the red planet’s bold feature is overwhelmingly small in comparison with things beyond Mars.

And so does sight of things universal do to our major worries.

One of the wisest pieces of advice I ever got was from a 12-Step program sponsor.

He would often ask me, ever so gently; regarding my worries, “How important is it?” It wasn’t a flippant rejection of my concerns; he’d explore my worries with me. Time and again he was able to show me the power in not getting too far ahead of myself.

Since then I’ve always tried to plan my day, and the foreseeable future, and then try and divert from any preoccupation with the plan back onto the moment’s needs.

Many things we worry about never happen. If they do occur, they rarely transpire like we think they will.

Given the size of things universal, do we really need to elevate our issues to the size of Olympus Mons?

© 2011 S. J. Wickham.