Seven Generations
Variations of this principle are inherent in many cultures: In the middle of everything is YOU. But it's not really about you. You're just one stepping stone along the path.
The journey continues even when the known path runs out. Even if you don't know where exactly the path leads, you've still got some idea of where you'd like to go. At the end of the beaten path we must find a new way to proceed.
Am I paving the way with words that reduce suffering and help make the world better? Am I headed in a direction where I want my grand nieces and nephews to live? Would Great Grandma Walton approve of how I'm proceeding?
Putting it in that context, reminding me of my place in the grand scheme of things, I find great opportunity to think bigger than the comfortable little circle I've drawn around my not-so-big world.