Change. Just the word can bring up a swirl of emotions—fear, excitement, resistance, hope. If you're anything like me, you've probably had moments where change felt like a storm rolling in, unexpected and uninvited. Other times, it’s arrived like a gentle breeze, shifting things just enough to make space for something new. Either way, one truth remains: change is constant.

This truth is at the heart of a concept I’ve come to respect deeply—impermanence. Rooted in traditions like Buddhism and Taoism, impermanence is the understanding that everything—every experience, every moment, every season—is temporary. Nothing stays the same. And while that can be a hard pill to swallow, it can also be incredibly freeing

We see impermanence all around us. The first bloom of spring doesn’t last forever. The sun sets, even on the brightest day. Leaves fall, seasons change, and time moves forward—regardless of how tightly we try to hold on. In our own lives, we grow and evolve through childhood, adulthood, and eventually old age. Each stage brings joys and challenges, and with it, the reminder that we are always becoming, never just being.

I used to fear change. I wanted things to stay as they were—comfortable, familiar, under control. But that desire for permanence brought more suffering than peace. It made me grip too tightly to relationships, routines, and identities that no longer served me. Letting go felt like failure. But over time, and through some of life’s more painful lessons, I began to understand that resisting change is often where our deepest suffering lies.

When we accept change—not just intellectually but in our hearts—something shifts. There’s a kind of quiet power in saying, “This is where I am now, and it won’t always be this way.” That truth can help us move through grief, through transition, through the messy middle of transformation.

Change also brings opportunity. It's what nudges us to start something new, to step outside what’s familiar, to discover strength we didn’t know we had. A new job, the end of a relationship, moving to a different city—all of these transitions can become turning points. Scary? Sure. But also full of potential.

So how do we live this truth of impermanence?

• Practice mindfulness – Stay rooted in the present moment. When we’re here, now, we stop clinging to what was or fearing what’s next.
• Let go of attachment – This doesn’t mean not caring. It means not holding so tightly that we suffer when things shift—as they always will.
• Look for the lesson – Every change, even the unwelcome ones, carries a lesson. What is this moment here to teach you?
• Build resilience – Like a tree in the wind, flexibility is strength. The more we allow ourselves to bend, the less likely we are to break.

Embracing impermanence doesn’t mean loving every twist and turn. But it does mean trusting that each one has a place in our story. It means meeting the unknown with curiosity instead of fear, and learning to ride the waves instead of fighting the current.

As I write this, I’m reflecting on a few changes unfolding in my own life. Some are bittersweet. Some are exciting. All are shaping me into who I’m becoming. And I wouldn’t trade that journey for anything.

Here’s to letting go, to growing, and to finding beauty in the ever-changing rhythm of life.

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