I think the most bittersweet word in the entire universe is impermanence. I have been contemplating about the meaning of this word for a while. This is all about embracing impermanence: the only thing that is certain is change.

Burning Man 2014 sculpture Photographed by Trey Ratcliff

Life is bound to change!

It seems that all of our sufferings comes from the struggle with impermanence. As human beings, we have the tendency to hold onto/control situations, people. But change is happening all around us, yet we want things to be predictable and consistent. When we forget the truth of impermanence. We forget the truth of life. When we try to make impermanent things permanent, we cause ourselves to suffer. We set ourselves up for disappointment when we cling onto things and hope they will remain the same forever. Sometimes we forget how fragile we are and how temporary this existence is. What we have now won’t be there forever. Not your body, not these homes, not these cars, not these clothes.

Embracing impermanence

Being mindful about impermanence gives us the ability to lose ourselves in a beautiful moment. It gives us the ability to cherish each precious moment, rather than projecting our happiness into the future. Happy people are comfortable enough to release things that are no longer serving them. It’s the balancing act between holding on and letting go.

“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”
― Alan W. Watts

From one moment to the next one

Life is like a dance. We go from one moment to the next one. When you embrace impermanence, You realize that everything is fleeting. All the struggles will pass. All your thoughts, all of your emotions. That’s the beauty of it all. A special authentic moment can feel like an eternity. A moment that is tattooed on your heart. And it’s exactly in that moment when we realize it doesn’t last forever. When we embrace impermanence, we value things more. We learn to appreciate the little things and we don’t take them for granted. Think about the sweet fragrance of a flower. The vivid colors of nature. It seems that life becomes more precious. When we don’t struggle with impermanence we are more in harmony with our lives. And life can be a persistent teacher.

More love

Oh, the irony. If these precious moments were there all the time, we might never recognize their presence. But I do suggest that we should take more pauses to watch beautiful sunsets ;). Create our own beautiful moments. Make more love with the ones we love and spread more love around us. Let’s embrace impermanence! Let’s love more. This life is so fleeting and I think we all need a reminder that nothing really last forever. Except for the love we give. Make every second count. Embrace every part.

Creation and destruction:

Scene from Samsara documentary.