Here for a fraction of a second (returning 1/11)

Astronauts often experience what’s called an “overview effect” — a sense of awe, humility, and deepened perspective — after witnessing just how tiny Earth is on the cosmic scale.

Suddenly issues that felt big seem trivial, and a sense of what’s truly important comes to the fore.

Though we’re some time away from being able to witness exactly what these astronauts have, I think we can experience similar therapeutic effects by deliberately framing the challenges we face against the grand scheme of things:

Consider how short life is on the cosmic scale.

The universe has been here for billions of years; it will continue to be here for billions of years.

We are here for a fraction of a second.

Understanding just how brief your tenure is here can help you better appreciate the value of your time and the time you get to share with others.

It also helps reveal many of the frivolous things we tend to get caught up in as frivolous — silly arguments that we should move on from, problems that aren’t going to matter by sundown, that absurd spark of frustration we sometimes experience when someone drives just a little too slowly on the road.

The next time you find yourself holding a magnifying glass up to a particular challenge or point of frustration, try taking a step back and consider what a privilege it is to get to exist right now.