When we experience a tragedy in our lives, our world stopped. The world appears to stop around us. Time feels like it stands still. For moments or days, weeks, months, we walk around in a daze. We turn inward. In my own moments of tagedy, I can remember wondering ‘why are other people still working? How are they still working? Don’t they know?’

What the tragedy itself is, matters not. In the moment (and perhaps forever), it is siginificant to us. Our world has changed dramatically and we wonder why and how others can go on.

The feelings around tragedies are often compounded because they remind us the world does not revolve around us. It is easy to think this, to subconsciously believe it. Of course we don’t say it aloud as we know how silly it sounds. And yet, we (or our ego) holds on to the belief. Therefore, in those moments of tagedy, when we see others carrying on as normal, we are reminded the world does not revolve around us. And this can make things hurt more.

Of course this is not just about tragedy. The world moves on with or without us. We are not its centre. And so when we seek change, implement a project, engage in life and work, we engage with others. And the others (and we, ourselves too) always have many many things on the go than just the project or change we want them make.

Sometimes we need to be reminded that we are not the centre of the universe or world. Hopefully, it doesn’t require a tragedy to realise it.

Photo by Lubo Minar