Occhiolism

In my book, I wrote, “Can you be pleasantly humbled by the recognition of your own insignificance?” Thanks to Carl from Nashville who kind of protested this idea. He sent me an email. He said, “You know, seeing our insignificance is depressing.” It turns out, there’s an odd word for this phenomenon, it’s “ochilism.” That means the awareness of the smallness of your perspective. I can tell you that, on any given day, my perspective can be incredibly limited. Like, I mean ridiculous. It’s my world and my worries, my concerns, my ambitions and hopes, and, you know, I want to believe my life is epic and it’s everything. So good. But when I see my insignificance, I realize, “Oh my goodness.” And when I’m in that headspace, the realization of my own insignificance can feel pretty lousy. Like, nobody cares what I say or do. It’s just my efforts are no big deal. I feel I am insignificant. But, stay tuned, because there is a real upside that can also be borne of ochilism.

As a coach, public speaker, and best-selling author, I teach topics just like this one all around the world. So stay tuned, and I’ll give you practical tools that you can use to make both yourself and those around you both happier and more successful. Ochilism: the awareness of the smallness of your perspective. So, is this devastatingly deflating, discouraging, and depressing? Or is it awesome, inspiring, and oh-so comforting? Well, the answer is yes. It is, of course, depressing to see my own insignificance when I want to be big, when I want to be important, when I want to be the master of my own destiny. Who wants to have an accurate perception of their own small-potatoes reality? Not me. Can I fully accept that life, on the whole, is largely out of my control? I’m not responsible for what really matters. The Earth spins on its axis, regardless of my views on the matter. And crazy, polarized US politics carries on discordantly, whether I protest or not. And this stream near my house, it continues to flow, one small concern about me. So, the big picture unfolds, whether I want it to stay the same, or if I’m desperate for change.

You know, at the same time, isn’t it friggin’ fantastic? Yeah, the sun will warm the Earth tomorrow, and I don’t have to set an alarm clock to make it happen. Rain will fall on the rice paddies in Vietnam, and it doesn’t need my authorization to do so. And the deer pet will grow older, another day near to the end of its life, and I’m not capable of or responsible to make it any different. Like, whew, what a relief! Ochilism is our enemy when our ego and ambition are oversized. Ochilism is our friend when we want to stop chasing after wants and instead laugh a bit at the things that we errantly think are so important. The cosmic activity of just today is so much bigger than my little sense of what’s important. When I can see that clearly, maybe I have a lot less striving to do. When I can see it clearly, maybe I can just settle in to what makes me happy. Maybe I can linger in the wonder of how gorgeous the moon and stars are. What does your own insignificance mean to you? Share your thoughts in the comments below. I’m Paul Charisma. I’m your happiness expert. Please like and share this video. If you want content like this in your inbox every Sunday morning, subscribe to my channel. Thanks for watching.