Life is Precious

Hello fellow Thinker!

I took a moment to reflect this week on life itself.

Life is so precious, and it’s incredible to consider how perfectly everything had to align for life to exist on Earth. Our planet sits in the "Goldilocks Zone," where it’s neither too hot nor too cold, allowing liquid water to flow. Earth’s size is just right—small enough to maintain a breathable atmosphere, yet large enough to generate a magnetic field that shields us from harmful solar radiation. The oxygen we rely on is balanced at 21%, just enough to sustain life without turning the atmosphere into a fire hazard. Even the moon plays a crucial role, stabilizing Earth’s tilt and giving us consistent seasons. Add to this the miracle of Earth’s complex ecosystems and biodiversity, where every species plays its part in maintaining a delicate balance. From the microscopic level of cells to vast ecosystems, the intricacy of life on Earth reminds us just how rare and extraordinary existence truly is.

Because of how rare this perfect combination of conditions is, life on Earth appears to be unique in the observable universe. Despite all our advances in technology, we have yet to discover another planet with life on it, even though we continue to search. Some theories suggest that intelligent life may have existed elsewhere long ago, perhaps millions of years before us, but has since vanished, leaving no trace. Others speculate that intelligent life may still be evolving somewhere, but the odds of it emerging at the same time, in the same general region of our universe, are extraordinarily slim. The vastness of space and time makes it all the more likely that, for now, we may be truly alone—or at the very least, the only intelligent life we know of.

Just last week, I was talking to a buddy who had a frightening experience that reminded me how fragile life can be. On his way home after hanging out, he got into a car accident. It happened in the blink of an eye. He noticed another driver getting too close and even thought to himself, “Wow, this guy is close,” just before the car slammed into the rear side of his vehicle. The airbags deployed, the car was totaled, and the driver who hit him fled the scene. Thankfully, my friend walked away shaken but unharmed. In an instant, everything could have been different.

Another friend of mine, an avid reader of this letter (you know who you are), recently shared how a coworker passed away unexpectedly. This news left him with a deep sense of sadness because when someone who is a part of your everyday life just disappears, it’s a jarring reminder of how quickly life can end. It made me think of all the people I’ve lost throughout my life, from childhood to adulthood—family members, friends, even public figures and celebrities. One day they’re here, and the next, they’re gone.

Out of the 117 billion people who have ever lived on this planet, only about 9 billion of us are alive today. That’s less than 8% of everyone who has ever existed. Imagine that—those of us alive today have something the other 92% would give anything to have back: the gift of life. Some of the richest and most powerful people in history would trade places with us in an instant because we have something they no longer possess—the chance to be alive. This realization hit me hard the other day when I was feeling overwhelmed by thoughts about where I am in life. I reminded myself that I’m lucky to be here, right now. Despite everything, I have life.

I brought myself back to the present moment and realized how incredible that is.

It’s such a privilege, such a gift to be alive today.

I am so lucky. I am so grateful.

Today is the first day of the rest of my life.

Keep thinking my friends!

This video is crazy: