Life: A Thousand Miracles
A series of crazy and unlikely events had to come together to shape the Earth – and life on our planet. These events can only be summed up in one word: miraculous.
In fact, this emergence is so improbable that we haven’t yet found life anywhere else in the universe.
Whatever drove this spontaneous, yet purposeful development has profound philosophical implications about the shaping forces active in our own lives.
While life as we know it is the result of natural processes, the conditions that made it possible were the result of numerous incredible and serendipitous factors:
The Big Bang
The origin of the Big Bang is not fully understood, but its occurrence was so extraordinary that it defies conventional probability. The notion of a first cause, whether physical or metaphysical, feels inherently improbable, as it implies something exists outside of time and space.
The fact that the universe exists at all – is just our first step into a world of wonder that can shed light on a fundamental question: why are we here?
Formation of a Stable Planet
The Earth is located in what is called a Goldilocks zone, where temperatures are suitable for liquid water—a crucial ingredient for life.
The Moon, which stabilizes the Earth’s axial inclination toward the sun, was formed by a Mars sized object that slammed into it. What could have destroyed the Earth on impact, actually caused its axial tilt in a way that sustains the seasons.
In addition, the Earth’s molten core generates a magnetic field that protects it from the sun’s cosmic radiation.
Essential Ingredients
The water, which makes the Earth uniquely habitable, has an origin that is not really understood. Our bodies contain 78% water, which roughly matches to the amount of water on the earth.
Whether it came via comets, asteroids or other volatile and unlikely events, how enough water arrived to fill the Earth’s oceans remains a mystery.
Spaceborne compounds delivered organic molecules that provided the building blocks of life that were later synthesized on the Earth. 86% of our bodies are space dust, or carbon, calcium and oxygen, all created from stars.
The right balance of temperature, pressure and chemical reactions spontaneously organized complex structures like RNA and DNA. This ability to replicate was a critical leap toward life and key to evolution.
Oxygenation of the Atmosphere
The unlikely and spontaneous development of photosynthesis led to the oxygenation of the Earth, which was deadly for the Earth’s first anaerobic life forms.
This forced the anerobes to find shelter inside of cells, where they provided functions that led to greater cellular complexity.
These membrane-bound environments formed the building blocks of all complex multicellular organisms. Multiple cells began working together, creating specialization and the development of tissues, organs and eventually, sexual reproduction.
Surviving Mass Extinction Events
The Yucatan meteor impact that killed the dinosaurs allowed mammals to thrive. The many ice-age events led to adaptation and migration and ultimately the evolution of intelligence through hunting for sustenance.
What should have led to mass extinctions actually refined life as we know it.
While each step might appear unlikely, the vastness of the universe and the countless planets increase the chances of life evolving somewhere. However, the specific sequence of events leading to life on Earth reflects a unique set of conditions and contingencies.
The serendipity that led to existence can inspire us to find meaning in life’s randomness.
The Universe as a Shaping Force
Just as the Earth underwent extraordinary, seemingly improbable processes to support life, we can view our challenges and experiences as part of a larger shaping process.
Like an asteroid strike, each trial or moment of impact offers a transformative opportunity that fosters our growth and authenticity.
The randomness of the Earth’s shaping events can inspire an awareness of how to find creative meaning in the chaos of personal experience. The unlikely factors that allowed life to thrive can connect us to the shaping force active in our own lives.
Grasping the full extent of how chance and purpose intertwined to drive life’s spontaneous arrival can also return us to wonder.
Just as Earth remains dynamic and evolving, so too are we a work-in-progress, constantly shaped by our environment. The unpredictable twists and turns—the joys, losses, struggles, and triumphs—these are the tools by which our character, identity, and potential is carved out.
Since life is so improbable, you might see it as something even more precious—a call to live in wonder, embracing the purposefulness that brought you here.
The universe not only knew you were coming, it created you, after billions of years of fine-tuning the best of what it is possible. While it may seem unlikely, you are here, which means life has carved out a special place for you.
Whatever is driving this emergence, it cannot fully self-actualize until you self-actualize. When you step into your power and purpose, you become a part of something truly amazing.