I stood awestruck.
In part, because of the beauty I witnessed, and in part because of the shock of what it actually looked like!
I was staring up at the night sky, but it was a sky unlike any I’d ever seen before. And yet, it was the same sky I’d always looked at. How could THIS have been under my nose (better put, above my nose) all this time?
The year was 2003 and I was standing at the edge of a dock on the small island of Namale in Fiji. I was there for a week-long cleanse and retreat, Tony Robbins “Life Mastery” program. In the last couple of days, I’d been on a cleanse, juices, massages, day-long inspirational seminars so I was already feeling good.
I saw glimpses of the night sky through the dense forest in the nightsprior, but it wasn’t until I walked out on the long dock with friends that the reality and majesty of it overtook me.
I felt enveloped by the world and the sky.
Somehow, seeing the beauty of the Milky Way, bright stars too numerous to count, and the blackness of the sky assured and calmed me.
That there was more to this life than we can ever hope to understand, especially when we’re IN this life.
And perhaps most powerfully, the idea that THIS, this beauty, this awe, this splendor was and would continue to be above me &mdash above us — EVERY SINGLE NIGHT, and yet I had never seen it like this, was shocking.
How could this be? I’d been looking at light-polluted skies all my life, with perhaps a night or two thinking with some wonder about the beauty of it, but NEVER like THIS.
And to think that, every night, that wonder floats above us, around us… I’m writing this in the early morning, and that means last night, a normal Monday night for me, as I lay in bed sleeping, that awe-inspiring mix of swirling galaxies and stars and planets that I witnessed in Fiji was right there.
I just couldn’t see it.
And the reason I couldn’t see it? Even though I live in a wooded area on a hill, the light pollution from street lights, houses, buildings and more is enough to light up the sky and obscure what’s really there.
A pretty good metaphor for our lives, don’t you think? The wonder is always there. The awe. The inspiration. Love. Beauty. Truth.
It’s there all around us, at all moments.
But there’s just too much “stuff” surrounding it to see it.
So as you go through your day today, and into the evening, contemplate the wonder that is around us at all times, and look for small ways to experience it. Perhaps a walk through nature. And steal more than a glance at tonight’s night sky (it’s still impressive even with the light pollution!).
Find ways to notice, to reveal the awe that is around us at all times.
And if you really want an awe-inspiring experience, plan a visit to an “International Dark Sky” place. That’s right! The award-winning Dark Sky Places Program was, in their words, “started in 2001 to encourage communities around the world to preserve and protect dark sites through responsible lighting polices and public education.” Find a site near (or far from!) you here: http://darksky.org/idsp/
And finally, tell me…
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Thank you Nick,
You write beautiful things. I have so appreciated your book and video of The Tapping Solution. Tapping has helped me through tough stuff that came along in my life – and still is wonderful to use when I need help and direction. I lived in northern Ontario for two years and often cried at the magnificence of the night sky, the sunset, eventually the stars appearing and the sweet unpolluted air. Thanks to you and Jessica. You are lights in this world.
Dear Nick
This is not about stars, but it makes me feel like one. Last night after a very emotional repeated situation, I was blaming to my self, punishing with victimisation and bad feelings, crying and asking to my self why I was decided to help again somebody who was failing his promises and I knew, its not worth Of my trust. So I started to feel myself very bad, this time instead Of going DEEP in that self punishment, I get into EFT, talking to myself with patience, deep love, compassion, and forgivenes, so, after a few mins I felt better, very better than ever in same situation. So, in this case, I was very aware to see what happend, I started to feel myself as a star 🙂 after that i comprehend I cant control anybody acts, but I can change the way I felt. I mean, everybody is a teacher and a learner and I can re teach myself and I can count on me. This is the first time I did EFT with instant results. Anyway, thanks to making better my Life sharing EFT with the world.
Was swept away by the stars many times – driving through Wichita and had to pull off the road (three drivers stopped to see if I needed help!), in Hawaii at Mastery University, also at Namale on my honeymoon – so remarkable and romantic; and on backpacking trips… I felt one with the universe, so incredibly blessed!
In the Channel Islands last year I watched a summer sunset over the ocean so breathtaking I was not only left speechless, but in tears of joy with the sheer unimagined beauty of it. The whole sky was red, gold, purple and every shade inbetween with small pink clouds, and the sea turned pink and lavender. It finally faded into a perfect deep blue starry evening sky. I will never forget the magic of that night, and thanked the Universe for such a stunning creation.
Since I was at the Planetarium in Montréal, I’m now “on Earth in the univers” many times a day. That’s my new way of realising my presence in different situations.
I just learned that the first 5 lines of Psaim 19 tells us that all the heavenly bodies sing praises to the beauty and the wonders of the heavens.Now science has discovered that sound waves do emanate from all the heavenly bodies.Humans can not hear the sounds with our ears but with our souls. So appropriate to your experience. Pauline Sonboleh
I was in a remote are of Kenya, so I’ve seen a night sky like this!
I was in central Australia. I was walking at night with a friend over the miles of ridges out back of our suburban street. It was a small town. We were 10 minutes drive from the center of town, but out there, the night sky is as black as ever. I looked up, actually up and all around the immense dome overhead. I gasped as I felt silenced into participation with billions of vivid stars in the whole universe. I felt my place and I felt at home. There was a riot of celebration going on up there! And I was invited to the Party! What a magnificent natural world I live in with you all!???
Just recently I traveled back home to my parents place in Southern British Columbia. I had forgot how many stars one could see there. Night time is very dark out in the boonies where they live as there are not many lights to have to deal with.
As I was going out to my car one evening, I stopped to look up and experience those beautiful twinkling lights. I also got an added bonus that took my breath away…..the Aurora Borealis!
Living in the city in Alberta for the past 25 years has made me miss some of the wonder and beauty of a night sky out in the countryside.
The connection was reset before I finished. When sailing at night under a moonless sky: a trail of phosphorescence can stretch to the horizon in your wake.
Hey,
I was born in the country, then moved to the city. I met a wonderful man who lived in a remote
area. I noticed a large picnic table in his backyard so taking him by the hand…we lay head to
to head naming as many stars and constellations as we could. Thirty three years later my husband and I still remember this magic night.
I was north of Sandpoint Idaho just miles from the Canadian border, summer of 2000. On a wildlife preserve overlooking a river plain to the east. It was SO DARK that I could literally see the stars as they rose from the horizon line, just like our own Sun & Moon. AMAZING. AWE. WONDER. I had never seen anything like it before, or since. Also got some great views of Andromeda that night. It is so humbling to me in this very moment as I recall that experience. Thanks Nick for the mid-day inspiration!!! Namaste’
Several years ago I was way up north on a remote Northern Ontario wilderness island at a fly in fish camp.
At 0200 I woke up and walked outside to complete wonderment. The clear dark star spangled sky was reflected perfectly in the still surrounding lake below and it looked like the whole sky and earth was nothing but stars in the universe; literally a 360. There were so many stars you could barely make out the dark sky background. It was spectacular and majestic beyond words. I felt so miniscule and whole all at the same time. There was nothing but the mysterious universe everywhere. It was a true present and enlightened moment like no other and I wished everyone could experience what I had just witnessed.
I have looked at the night sky many times through the course of my long life and it always brings me closer to the reality of God, the Creator of it all. It reminds me of the scripture, “Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10
Truly it is awesome and the wonder of it all is breathtaking.
I also live in Arizona in a Dark Sky Community. I enjoy the sky almost nightly. We live at the base of a mountain that is sacred to the Native Americans of the area. In the fall, in the very early mornings, the Big Dipper stands on its tail (handle) above the center of the mountain. It seems surreal and I feel blessed to see that every time.
In 1975, when I lived on the outskirts of Tempe, AZ, I had been juice fasting for a few days and was sitting in the grass in my front yard looking at the stars when I experienced Pure Beingness. I didn’t feel any separateness from the Universe. I was the Universe. I can’t describe it but have been grateful for that experience and once experienced, the awe of it never goes away.
In the bustle of everyday life, I forget that I am the I AM and am grateful for the reminder.
I had decided to move back home to Ohio after having lived in San Francisco for awhile. I was on the 2nd day of the drive having started from Seattle that morning. As night time approached I began looking for a hotel room but nothing was available. Small town after small town, and nothing. There was some sort of convention going on. At one point I realized how alone on the road I was in the middle of no where. At first I felt a little afraid. And then I noticed how beautiful it was. The moon was full or near full and incredibly brilliant. So much so, that I turned off my headlights and was able to drive by the light of it. I just felt enveloped by the darkness all around except for the magical brilliant light of the moon.
It is good to be reminded of what we so often take for granted. I have lived on coral atolls, Fiji and other Pacific Islands, counry places in Australia and New Zealand, for over 90 years. Thanks.
I experienced this in Peru. Utterly breath taking and tragic we in the western world cant see it.
dear Nick,
the most awesome sky I have ever witnessed and not only took my breath away but kept me up all night was in 2001. The place was called Tingri, situated in Tibet in de Hymalaya at 52.25 meters altitude. it literally took my breath away, it felt like breathing through a straw but it was worth it. I felt so close to God and all its magnitude humbled me.What I took with me from that night was to realise I was part of something so big, so inmeaserably large. Also the Tibetans, their kindness, their joy in life. We could not understand each other but had so much fun singing to each other. Wonderfull.
in the 60’s,in a far away hamlet (without water at home,just wells,and no pollution…) in Berry,center of France,there were splendid skies full of stars and the Milky Way could be seen easily! An enchantment of every night during all the summer when we had our holidays there. One night,an uncle who was pilot at Air France,explained us many stars we were watching; my brothers and I are keeping that moment like a dream so far we felt tooken off!