The Importance of Impermanence.

im·per·ma·nence / (noun)/

the state or fact of lasting for only a limited period of time.

As humans, we have one expectation that contributes significantly to our downfall.

The root of our struggles is the quest for permanence. To somehow pointlessly ensure that any good in our lives must remain as is.

This couldn’t be any more wrong.

The book The Big Questions of Life by Om Swami has been a quintessential and mindset-altering book that I’ve been reading for the past couple of weeks.

Swami’s description of impermanence is interesting and to be honest, quite spot on.

This will be my interpretation and dissemination of this principle.

“The principle of impermanence is the essence of existence”, Swami describes, “and our world, the universe, is surviving and intact because it’s constantly changing”.

We thrive, as a species, because of adversity. Difficult times and people generate life skills and perspectives that we never may have tapped into otherwise. They ultimately guide us to growth as a person.

We learn from our failures.

We often label everything that doesn’t fall in line with our expectations of life, as suffering. Whether that be a difficult person, situation, or problem, whatever rattles us becomes undesirable to us. Very quickly. And we want it eliminated immediately.

Suffering and sadness is not wrong or right.

It just is.

If you want to have any sort of chance at going with the flow of life – and enjoying the process – you need to remind yourself that nothing is permanent and suffering is okay.

We’re not talking about world hunger or mass suffering. That is never okay. The strong need to protect the weak.

We’re talking about individual suffering. The kind that makes us feel worthless.

The root of suffering is our expectation of life. As if we know for certain how it has to be.

The issue is the unrealistic nature of this expectation, that anything good in our life should stay as it is. This is not true.

We often forget that everyone and everything will be separated from us one day.

The world will offer us anything we want in life… except permanence.

If you’ve ever experienced grief or the loss of a loved one, you’re aware that it only takes one instance in life to wake you up to the impermanence of life.

No matter how stable and permanent things may seem, it is going to wither away at some point.

Nothing is designed to last.

Forests burn, mountains move, glaciers melt, oceans retreat, rivers dry up, and people die.

If we could be mindful of this, then adversity won’t hurt as much.

We’ll already be preconditioned to the fact that nothing lasts.

The good nor the bad.

How Do We Accept & Subject Ourselves to this Impermanence?

Live in the present moment.

Here’s another quote from Sir Swami:

“The present must yield to the future. This ceaseless play of moments emerging and passing is what gives beauty to the unpredictability of our lives. It's beyond comprehension and control. At best, you can live it, love it, or rejoice in it. With gratitude. And this is the path to peace. And peace, may I add, is the only real treasure. The rest are temporary acquisitions.”

Be grateful for the opportunity to experience this life we’ve been given, for it could be taken away from us or another in an instant.

If you take one thing away from this essay at all it’s this:

Whenever life is trying you, and you feel immense suffering, tap into your heart with a gentle hand and say to yourself that this trying phase in your life won’t last forever.

And when you’re over the moon about something, high on life, tap into your heart again and realize that this too won’t last either.

Everything good or bad shall pass.

“When the time comes, trees are laden with leaves and fruits, and then, with time, it sheds them. What are you brooding over? When all phases of life pass eventually”

Tranquility and harmony are imminent the moment we realize how transient life truly is.

Enjoy it. Every moment of it. For it won’t be there forever.

Keep Pluggin’

🙇🏻‍♂️🌱Until Next Time, C.