Discoveries

People are always in awe when a new discovery is announced. Whether it’s the cure for a particular disease or the first sighting of a planet no one had seen before, momentous discoveries stimulate the imagination and give everyone hope for the future. Unfortunately, I believe we have our priorities backward.

Sure, the big discoveries have a right to be recognized for what they are, but it’s the little, everyday discoveries that sustain us. A toddler watching the moon rise from beyond the horizon, or seeing a caterpillar crawl across the sidewalk for the first time, are equally fascinating discoveries. Learning how to speak, read, write, ride a bike, are every bit as important as learning how to split an atom.

How many times in a week or even a single day do we say, “I didn’t know that, or so that’s how that works?” Maybe people who are bored or depressed should take the time to look at how many discoveries they have made in their lives. Both successes and failures are discoveries. Being successful means you’ve discovered how to do something right, while failing at a task shows you how it should have been done.

The bottom line is, revel in man’s momentous discoveries, but never lose sight of your personal ones.