I think it’s severely uncomfortable to take a deep, longitudinal look at our lives, which is why it can be so difficult and why so few people regularly do it.

When we ask ourselves things like “why am I here” or “what’s the meaning of all this,” it surfaces our greatest fear: the unknown. Our brains, while possessing the ability to ponder such questions, evolved to be capable of reasoning—it was a path toward sustained survival. We struggle with things that are seemingly unknowable.

It’s also a deeply personal experience, muddled by our individual psychologies. But if we are to pursue a better future together, we must face it. We must face it both individually and together, because when we communicate with each other about these most important of things, we’ll realize that we’re all the same. And that the universe is magical, something to be explored and experienced. Shall we do it together?