You see,
It's the funniest thing.
We've all been taught to believe that there is this great big universe out there,
Ticking away like some enormous Grandfather clock.
And here you are,
A little lump of consciousness rattling around inside it,
As if you were dropped into the middle of somebody else's story,
Trying to desperately make sense of the plot.
But if you look just a little closer,
You notice something peculiar.
The universe only ever shows up where you are.
Think about it.
You never actually see the world when you're not looking.
You never hear a sound when your ears are closed.
You never taste a strawberry before it hits your tongue.
The whole show begins precisely at the point you observe it.
And so the great cosmic joke is this.
Reality doesn't exist until you look.
It's like one of those children's pop-up books.
The castle,
The dragon,
The forest,
They only spring into form when you turn the page.
Until then,
They're nowhere at all.
Now most people find this terrifying.
What do you mean?
You're telling me the world disappears when I'm not there?
Yes,
That's exactly what I'm saying.
And isn't that a relief?
Because suddenly,
You don't have to drag around this massive,
Clunky world on your back.
You don't have to be the poor creature struggling to survive inside an indifferent universe.
Instead,
You realize you and the universe are inseparable,
Like a dance.
There's no dancer without the dance.
And there's no dance without the dancer.
So when you look,
Truly look,
You are calling the world into being.
The colors,
The shapes,
The smells,
The sounds,
All of it is a performance happening right now for you.
And the performance changes depending on how you show up.
If you walk into a room expecting rejection,
The actors in your play will dutifully cross their arms and confirm your suspicion.
If you walk in expecting warmth,
The very same actors will light up and the scene changes entirely.
But of course,
This isn't magic.
This is simply the nature of mirrors.
And life reflects,
Always.
And here's where the real fun begins.
If you're the observer and what you observe bends and shapes itself to your looking,
Then what are you really?
Are you a character trapped inside the dream?
Or are you the dreamer?
Are you the player inside the game?
Or are you the screen on which the holo-game appears?
Most people are so busy playing their roles,
The anxious employee,
The tired parent,
The hungry seeker,
That they never notice they're also the stage,
The set,
The spotlight and the audience all at once.
So let me ask you,
Who were you before you opened your eyes this morning?
Where was the world before you woke up?
Now you're getting somewhere.
Because once you see this,
Once you actually feel,
Not just think,
But feel that you are the observer calling this world into being,
Life suddenly becomes far more playful.
It's not a grim struggle anymore.
It's jazz.
Improvisation.
It's a dance.
You stop asking,
What's going to happen to me today?
And instead you wonder,
What scene will I call in today?
What mirror will life hold up for me?
It's rather like being backstage before the curtain rises.
The actors are ready,
The orchestra is turning up.
And all that's left is for you to step out and play your part,
Knowing that the story bends right now according to the quality of your gaze.
So sit back,
If only for a moment today,
And notice yourself noticing.
Watch yourself watching.
Observe the observer.
And suddenly,
The world reveals itself not as a prison you must endure,
But as a performance you are directing.
And then,
Perhaps you will laugh,
Because you'll realize the truth.
Without you,
There is no show.
You
