Albert Einstein said that the purpose of life is to ease the journey for others. Isn’t that a cool thought for the day? Who would have guessed this brainy scientist would inform us about a well-lived life?
I suspect we are on firm ground when taking advice from one of the most influential and renowned scientists of our time. The father of the theory of relativity gives us pretty good life advice and perhaps we should heed the suggestion. Many of us are caught up day to day and week to week with the world that engulfs us, and we tune out or ignore the struggles of others. I have been around for a bit and will tell you that some of this advice will fall upon deaf ears or bounce off those self-absorbed minions that run around this planet and think all about themselves; yes, we all know a few of them all too well.
It seems to me that the people in our community have become a bit lacking in the self-awareness department and are less aware of the world around them. This Covid thing didn’t help, and generationally speaking, I worry that we are spiraling into a more me-centric world, less connected and less concerned about those around us. And this should give us pause.
The hard and indisputable truth is many in our lives are suffering. Whether it be mental health issues, access to quality health care, struggles with affordability issues, or moments of personal conflict, many could use a little help or a kind word of support. A long-time friend of mine recently confided in me that he has long suffered from “crippling depression,” which he seems to be managing well. I was never aware of his issues and felt a little at fault that I never picked up on the signals and offered support.
It begs the question – how many around us are suffering, and we just missed it?
Einstein was always ahead of his time with his esoteric theories on the elevated world of the sciences. But this former Princeton resident was also light years ahead of the need to help others in their life journeys.
This is simple advice today: Let’s be on the lookout for the needs of others and worry less about ourselves. Do something positive today to reach out to someone in need and make their journey a little easier.