The Parallel Lives Next Door

Many people believe that our thoughts give rise to countless parallel universes — different dimensions of existence that we cannot see, at least not from within our three-dimensional wold. Because we cannot see them, we sometimes forget that they may exist at all, and become trapped in whatever difficulties we are facing in our present reality.

I came across an interesting idea a few days ago: everyone we meet in our lives is a mirror reflecting some belief buried deep in our subconsciousness. In that sense, every person we meet represents a parallel version of our own life.

I find this idea deeply convincing. There are so many people in this world, each living a completely different life. So why do I happen to meet these particular people at this particular moment? Why do some people become deeply intertwined with my life, while others pass through it only briefly before we go our separate ways?

My life right now is actually the life I once wished for.

I moved to a very quiet little town and now live a peaceful, almost pastoral life. The neighbor to our right is very generous and warm-hearted. We see each other very often, and they invite us to celebrate holidays and special occasions with them. Whenever we run into difficulties, they are always willing to lend a hand.

In that way, their life reflects something I have always longed for: to live a comfortable and happy life, while still be kind to others and willing to when I can.

The neighbor to the left is quite different. A woman lives alone with her dog. She is a little eccentric and rarely goes out. She even caused us a little trouble last year.

And yet, she too seems to reflect a hidden corner of my own heart — the part of me that wants to live a life that is different from everyone else’s, a little mysterious and perhaps not so easily approached.

Across from her lives another woman who lives alone. She has a very orderly routine: She goes to work and comes home at the same time everyday, and spends her free time taking care of her garden and lawn. we have never actually spoken, but somehow I still get the feeling that she is full of energy and genuinely enjoys her life.

She represents another life I have often imagined for myself: having an income, a garden, people coming and going, but also having a stretch of time that belong entirely to me.

Across from us lives a couple who are only staying in the town temporarily. Their kids are grown and have lives of their own. The husband goes to work everyday, while the wife works from home and takes care of their two little dogs. When we happen to run into each other, we exchange greetings and sometimes chat for a few minutes. Their favorite thing to do is ride their own motorcycles together whenever the weather is nice.They are, in every sense, a pretty cool couple.

And that is another life we have imagined for ourselves: sharing the same passion, having careers of our own, being each other’s greatest supporters, but also being partners in fun and adventure.

whenever I think about all of this, I feel an unexpected sense of peace and contentment. The life I once wished for has actually been unfolding right in front of my eyes all along. And yet, most of the time, I have been busy searching for something else — always looking ahead, always worrying about what I might gain or lose. What a waste.

Now I finally understand why people need to step outside their familiar lives — to see, to explore and to experience. The more you experience, the more parallel versions of our lives we create within ourselves. Our world becomes richer. We begin to see more possibilities. We have more choices. And perhaps, most importantly, we develop a greater capacity to imagine the lives we could live.