Impermanence.
Our culture refuses to embrace these concepts – constantly marketing “joy”, “health”, “love” or “wealth” as destinations.
I bought into it for a long time…How about you?
The longer I live in this body suit, the more I see how the cycles of our personal world match those of the outer world.
Nothing in our lives stay the same.
Accepting the fact that the quest for “permanence” is fruitless, allows us to shift within.
Our former end goal of “happily ever after” is changes to “reality ever after”…filled with cycles of ups and downs.
Our suffering can be heightened by the fear that downs are forever.
And when we’re experiencing joy, the pleasure can be dampened by the sad truth that nothing lasts forever.
Recently, I’ve learned that when we embrace impermanence, our lives become less about establishing and defending and more about allowing, flowing, and sensing.
We must learn to embrace change and keep our minds clear so we can respond (not react) to the inevitable.
Change is a given.
Surrender to this fact, and like a phoenix, you will rise from the ashes of who you once were, stronger and able to hold space with compassion in any given situation.
Real flowers are much more beautiful than plastic ones, in part because of their impermanence. We appreciate the seasons, the autumn and the spring, because they are a process of change. In this way, impermanence is beauty.
– Chögyam Trungpa
