Do it anyway

"Whatever you do in life will be insignifigant, but it is very important that you do it anyway. Because nobody else will. Are fingerprints don't fade from the lives we touch."- Mahatma Gandhi

I first heard this quote durnig the movie "Remember Me". As a side not, it's a good movie. It's slow with the first half seemingly disconnected. It's not until near the very end of the movie the entire movie and the quote above make sense.

For me this quote brings forth the paradox and conundrum of life. With all the billions and billions of stars (or maybe it's trillions and trillions), with the estimated age of the universe at 13.7 billion years, with each human life 1 of a 6 billion on this planet we call Earth ... within this scale, it truly does seem that whatever we do with this life is insignificant.

Truly though none of us live at that immense, unimaginable scale of the universe. Even 1 star doesn't matter at that scale. We live at a human scale, most often measured by our neighborhoods, communities, and cities. These are the places we live, breathe, work, play, and exist.

At this personal level and personal scale, our actions are important. Very important. A smile to a stranger can change a day, both for you and them. Picking up a random piece of trash does improve the planet and make it nicer for everyone. Spending time with a friend enriches lives.

At the other end we can send waves the other way - road rage which might offer us some release yet brews anger in others, or flicking a cigarette butt out the window.

Everything we do matters, especially in relationship - to other people, to the earth, to animals, to ourselves. It is important how we act and it is equally important that we do act.

Regardless of the scale - universal or human, I agree with Gandhi. Do it anyway!