I almost got into a car accident yesterday. The car that almost hit us came in fast from behind and swerved over a curb to avoid us. I heard an “Oh, shit” from the back of my car as we watched sparks fly from the contact between the bottom of their car and the concrete. The other driver pulled into a parking lot ahead of us and got out of her car, obviously panicking.

I’ve felt unsettled lately. I am uncomfortable with the fact that my time is, for the most part, spent unintentionally. I can feel my craving for distraction and immediate gratification, and often give into it by checking emails, responding to messages, packing my calendar, watching videos, consuming something, waiting for someone to ask me to do something. At the same time, I remember what it’s like to be overcommitted to the point where everything felt like a task, and I want to commit myself only to activity that I find meaningful.

Before reading this, please read its preamble. Finding our ground is important. I don’t think it’s possible to know what happens after we die, or if there is a spiritual realm from which a great mind guides the physical realm that we see. I find it hard to imagine proof that such a realm exists. Let’s say that we heard a voice booming from the sky, across the planet. Could that be this great mind, or could it be some advanced technology that we don’t understand?