You may have heard people say that the only thing constant in life is change. It may sound too philosophical or too deep of a saying but it is very true and quite simple really.
Ever since we are born and are mature enough to understand our surroundings and life in general, we become aware of the fact that everything and everyone changes around us with time.
The multitude of changes that we get to see everyday may be positive or negative. In fact life has this unique characteristic of duality in which one cannot exist without the other. In a way, life is lived in these dual phases in which there might be good within the bad times and bad within the good times.
You might be having a really good time overall and suddenly someone could spill coffee on you and you might be having tough times but a friend might come out of nowhere with a helping hand. This ying yang of life is truly beautiful.
Change - The Only Constant
As I mentioned, change is always happening. It is happening on the scale of the universe in which thousands of stars are born and die every second and it is happening on the scale of the atoms, which are constantly in motion giving rise to change on the smallest of scales.
The point is, change is an ever happening phenomenon. So, it is only natural that it happens every day in our lives too. The person you are today, is a little different than the person you were today. If nothing else, you are a day older.
But, we humans often forget this cyclic nature of everything that is and often end up with short-sightedness. This is applicable to both the amazing times and the tough times.
When times are good, everything seems so easy as if we have a magic wand. We fail to anticipate that this phase may be temporary and may cause us to be lazy and procrastinating. And when times are tough, everyone and everything seem to be going against us and we might end up feeling demotivated, depressed and stressful.
This Too Shall Pass…
When I think about all this, I am reminded every time of this Persian adage that says, “This too shall pass.” These are really wise words, which have great, deep meaning to them.
No matter our current condition, if we only remember this saying in our life, we will lead a much more healthier life in terms of its quality. Knowing that times can and will change, helps us prepare and remain motivated.
If times are awesome, it will give you an urgency to still prepare for any flood that might damage the dam of your life. This will ensure that you are ‘covered’ throughout the way.
If times are tough, it will give you hope. Hope is one of the strongest emotions we have. It is hope that has led to a lot of achievements in many people’s lives. If you feel despair, tell yourself that there is always day after night and ….. this too shall pass.
The ever-changeful nature of life is the reason why those who're the least attached to their possessions/ relationships/ circumstances are generally the happiest and healthiest of the lot.
I say, be fully engaged wherever you are and in whatever you do. Enjoy what is in front of you with 100% intensity/ focus. BUT, but, but, don't fool yourself into thinking that it's YOURS.
NOTHING IN THIS WORLD IS OURS!
Even our minds will perish at the moment of our deaths, so not even our thoughts or our memories are really ours, they're just "borrowed from time". Body? Same.
The root of suffering and sorrow is a concept: mine; have; become.
Total freedom from desire (to possess, to become) is the only way to sustain peace and joy. If there's one desire that will allow for fulfillment it's the desire for EVERYONE to experience total freedom (a sustainable state of peace and joy). A competitive (resource hoarding) mindset is a kill-joy, by design.
This isn't to say that we should strive for inaction/ passivity. Rather, that we should give 100% of our energy/ focus to doing right by ourselves and all that entails (people and environment) by removing attachment to things that can, and WILL, be taken away from us.
Freedom from desire is the most pristine mental clarity. It's achieving maximum creative potential. It's the ability to be 100% present, undistracted by the truly inconsequential.
In this state of total freedom (from desire), should a moment come that threatens to harm something or someone that's connected to us, or others, by real love (not "attachment love", rather a non-possessive quality of love and, therefore, far more powerful and important), then we WILL give everything we have to stop it.
We will give our lives, because it's not even ours to begin with. It's just borrowed. What do we give it for? True love - the one thing that we can never lose - the one thing that we always are.
The one very important message that we all have to give one another is that "oneness" (true-love) is real and that it trumps life in every way (a million lifetime's worth of happiness can be experienced in one moment) and transcends time. Only the truly desireless will come to know this.
{ all imo, of course :) }
Beauty, upvoted! All for one and one for all! Namaste :)
You are a truly wise person and I couldn't agree more with your words :)
thank you :D
Positive words of wisdom empowering everyone using them. All for one and one for all! Thanks for sharing. Namaste :)
I am glad you like it. Thanks for supporting always. :)
I totally agree. Well said!
yeah! :)
Thank you :)
Well done!
thank you :)
Im going to save this to read on a rainy day again to remind me. Thanks for your work!
This is one of the nicest comments I have received. I am glad you liked it :)
Can't agree more! Nicely said!
thank you for reading :)
You are completely right! Thank you for sharing this positive message :-)
I am really glad you liked it :)