Transience

Image source: https://tinyurl.com/yade7ork

Nothing lasts forever. Not feelings, or thoughts, or circumstances, nothing. This is such an important component of thought that I am forever attempting to fully internalize.

When pain stings, it’s not forever.

When discomfort prickles, it’s not forever.

When anger seethes, it’s not forever.

Even when contentment sets in, it’s not forever.

Nothing is forever and life continues to roll on by, through good times and through bad. The only thing we can truly count on is that everything changes. Nothing stays the same.

So the next time I am feeling down, it is important that I remember that it won’t last forever.

The next time anxiety overtakes me, I must remind myself that thoughts are not reality. I don’t need to take them so seriously. If I can grab hold of reality, and ride the wave of transience, I will come out smoothly on the other side.

If I can become somebody who is comfortable with the ever-changing tide, I can travel through life with less baggage, less need to hold onto the past, and less fear of the future.

This, I think, is why mindfulness is so crucial. Mindfulness demands complete conscious attention on the now. There is no room in mindfulness for lamenting over the past or worrying over the future. There is simply the here and now.

Today I will acknowledge the transient nature of life.