Do you know the odds of you being born? It’s about 1:400,000,000,000,000. Now I’m not a scientist, but it seems that those odds were largely stacked against your existence. But you are here, we are here. We exist now. 

We were all Black Swan events. But wait, what is a Black Swan?

The Black Swan was a term coined by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. It’s a metaphor that describes an event that comes as a surprise, has a major effect, and is often inappropriately rationalised after the fact with the benefit of hindsight. 

It came into existence because, in the olden days, people thought only white swans existed and no one had ever seen a Black Swan before. Every time someone saw a white swan, it cemented the belief that “all swans are white.” Until finally the day came when someone discovered a black swan. 

We worry about so many things that ultimately don’t matter and have never mattered. We forgot how lucky we are, to have this life, this health, this opportunity we’ve been given. The little things that make life so rich. And it could be taken away in the blink of an eye and there is no second chance. Life is not a dress rehearsal.

I’m writing this to be shared with the world with a few clicks of a button on an interconnected piece of technology. That’s mind-blowing when taking the moment to think about it. We live in the most advanced, safest and most creative time. The opportunities seem endless, there are a lot more than what the ancient Greeks and Romans had. 

I’m writing this piece to remind you, and myself… go take that risk, start that business, jump off a cliff and do some wingsuit flying, move halfway around the world, explore a city with no cell reception, capture photos on film, say something kind to a stranger, climb mountains, lift weights, break boards. Do some crazy shit that you or no one else ever thought you’d do. Don’t be afraid to change everything overnight. Do a Black Swan activity that would feel Black Swan like to you. 

You are not on this earth long, and there is only one of you, there will only ever be one of you. Make your mark in this world. 

I’m leaving you with the final passage from The Black Swan which gave me a sense of peace and which I found very comforting. Taleb writes - 

“I am sometimes taken aback by how people can have a miserable day or get angry because they feel cheated by a bad meal, cold coffee, a social rebuff or a rude reception. We are quick to forget that just being alive is an extraordinary piece of good luck, a remote event, a chance of occurrence of monstrous proportions. 

Imagine a speck of dust next to a planet a billion times the size of Earth. The speck of dust represents the odds in favor of your being born; the huge planet would be the odds against it. So stop sweating the small stuff. Don’t be like the ingrate who got a castle as a present and worried about the mildew in the bathroom. Stop looking at the gift horse in the mouth – remember you are a Black Swan.”

You are rare. 

You are special.

You are brilliant. 

You are unique. 

You are a Black Swan. 

Until next time,

Brody