I’m living in a bubble. You’re living in a bubble. We’re all living in bubbles. Whether we know it or not, what we know about what we know is 0.0001 percent. In fact, what we know is actually what we think we know since most of the time we’re following other people’s ideas, society’s stereotypes, etc.
This past week I was on vacation in New York, one of the most happening places on the Earth. From the minute I got there, I realized how much I don’t know about the world. From understanding what a red-eye flight is, to why everything was so expensive, to learning how to plan trips efficiently.
Although most of you reading this may, most likely, know (how to do) the aforementioned, I didn’t because of my limited experience traveling. And that’s what brought me to the question:
How much do we really know?
I’m not saying that we all don’t know that much, but rather, I’m asking how much are we putting into our heads and deeply understanding, acknowledging, and using. You see, there’s so much more to life than we think.
When I went to New York, I realized what real city life was like among the numerous brightly lit screens of Times Square, constant honking and traffic, and people. Living in my hometown, the definition of urban was completely different, but I didn’t know that because I hadn’t been to a busier place before. Despite having seen New York in numerous movies, hearing about it from friends, or reading about it, the actual experience itself was completely different. And I learned so much.
Now, you’re probably thinking the exact same thing as me: why is she turning her vacation into a learning experience? Good question - I have no idea (I think I’m turning into my dad).
But regardless of that, I think it’s so important to recognize how deeply disconnected we are with the world and with ourselves. Earlier I mentioned that we’re living in bubbles. And the reason for that is because everyone is in for themselves - we all think that the world revolves around us. (Yep, it took me a whole trip to New York to realize not).
However, truth is that it doesn’t. There’s so much more to our lives than we see because we’re always so wrapped up in our business. It’s not often that we take a step back and just see things for the way they are.
But that’s exactly what we need to do.
One last example: in New York, almost every person is in their own world. Everywhere you look there will be someone or the other who has their AirPods in or talking on the phone, but rarely in the moment. The one time I saw a group of about 100 people come together and enjoy the moment was during a street show. There was clapping and cheering and smiling and laughing. It was a beautiful experience to have in a busy place like NY. And that’s when I realized how much we don’t know. Because of how not in “it” we are.
So the next time you are so immersed in everything, stressed out or overwhelmed, or just plain bored, take a step back, breathe, relax, and enjoy the moment. Understand what you know and learn what you don’t.
Life is fuller and more beautiful than ever. We just have to see it. We just have to pop a little window in our bubble, and maybe, just maybe, we’ll see the world for what it really is.
Thanks for reading! Until next time, stay safe, happy, and healthy.
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