Take comfort in knowing nothing matters.

We’re currently orbiting a huge ball of fire in space at approximately 67,000 miles per hour. At any point, that huge ball of fire could supernova, and consequently you and I would be dead in a matter of seconds. A phenomenon that is far beyond your control could end your entire existence at any given time. Of course, the likelihood of this occurring as you read this post is low, but it doesn’t change the fact that it could happen.

I’m not trying to provoke existential dread. Actually, my intention with this post is quite the opposite. My goal is to inspire you to reflect on the purpose you give life.

Regardless of your religious beliefs or theory’s on human genesis, we’re all currently consciously living together on this rock we call Earth. We are the only species on this planet that have grasped complex consciousness. Sure, other animals possess neurological substrates that allow them to mildly grasp consciousness. However, we are the only species that is conscious of our consciousness. We are able to process our feelings and thoughts, and make rational choices based on given information. We can measure future consequences and ponder how life could’ve been if we chose option 2 instead of 1. All in all, we consciously dictate our own purpose.

Nobody truly knows whether we came to this earth because a god created us and the world in 7 days, or if the big bang happened out of sheer coincidence and we’re the by-product of it. The only thing that is certain is that we were born, and one day, we will die. I’ve come to terms with this, and it’s shown me the way to understand that in the end, nothing matters. We don’t remember the 13 billion years that happened before us, and can’t even imagine what earth will look like in a billion years from now. This present moment is insignificant in the bigger picture — But of course that’s on a huge scale. If we zoom-in to see the individual reality of each person in this universe, we will see that on a visceral level we’re very similar. We all stress about delivery dates, we all laugh when our crush cracks a joke, we all cry at the end of Marley & Me, and we all can’t wait for the weekend to come so we can see our friends and family. These are all valuable moments to us personally, but zooming back out on earth’s timeline, they don’t really matter.

Everything we do will most probably be forgotten. Yes, everything you’ve achieved in your career will vanish into this planets history; but so will all of your embarrassments, hardships and irrational actions. Yes, it sucks to think that all your efforts will just be a thing of the past; but so will everything you’re stressing about right now. I always say it, it’s a cynical world and you’ve got to make the best out of it. Define your own purpose. You’re free to do whatever you want to do with your life, because at the end of the day nothing matters. The only things that matter are those which you direct your value and purpose to. For me it’s my family and my friends, traveling, chatting, dancing, boxing, and working hard. I’ve deemed these things the most important in my life, and thus it’s what I direct focus to every day. I live in the present moment simply enjoying my time on this earth with the purpose I’ve given it. With time, all of this will be gone one day and nothing will matter. I believe it’s important to be comfortable with this truth, and live life the way you choose to.