The shifting sands of life
After considering the challenges of change recently, my thoughts led naturally to the concept of impermanence. After all, nothing really stays the same—and this can be a good thing, or not so good, depending upon (as always) your perspective.
It is an inescapable fact that both inside and all around us things are constantly changing from moment to moment. A cell is created, does its work for a period of time and is then recycled; a flower buds and then blossoms, only to fall and be absorbed back into the earth. Night turns to day and back to night; seasons change; the world turns; we grow older.
Nothing is fixed
This doesn’t mean that your future is set in stone and inevitable; an excuse to sit by and watch with a sense that you are somehow helpless. What this reality does is give you the opportunity to experience the anticipation, excitement and wonder as each day, week, month and year unfolds…. to live with hope.
After all, you never really know what will happen or where you will end up.
Once upon another time, I lived in the UK, never expecting to one day be an Australian citizen and be given the chance to explore that vast sunburnt continent for so long. Nor did I ever think I would move to Hong Kong—one of the most extraordinary places in the world—or return to Aotearoa New Zealand, though it’s been a pretty good place to stop temporarily (while the world wrestles with pandemic life).
Yet these things all happened, and I am extremely grateful to have had such opportunities despite the challenges.
I didn’t expect to complete a degree, nor earn my living in the wellness industry for so long, yet I have done this also. I never dreamt I would return my attention to the Eastern philosophical studies I began as a teenager—yet I keep returning to and appreciating these teachings as the years pass, as they help widen my worldview and inform both my personal and professional life.
They keep me reflective.
Change is inevitable
My point is that you never know what will happen, what opportunities will present themselves, and whether or not you will be ready or able to take advantage of them when they do.
Will you even recognise these forks in the road as they appear?
It is with the luxury of hindsight that we are able to revel in our choices and recognise how things have changed and evolved—how we have grown and what we have learned. I’m not certain when I became the person who grabs the opportunities that present or who sometimes makes a difficult choice in order to forge a different path. Nor am I certain how I became the person who even recognises a potential fork in the road, though I admit I rely heavily on my intuition.
I’m not even sure that all my choices have been good ones and there have definitely been challenging moments; but they bought me here to today, which has blue skies and the promise of something positive in the air. And as I write, I feel content… so that’s a good thing.
Observe the ebb and flow
For now, and with the world the way it is, I suggest you consider the concept of impermanence. Whether you need to watch and wait until the good outweighs the challenging again, or whether you are feeling fortunate enough to experience some contentment and gratitude for what you currently have.
I feel it is wise to recognise the ebbs and flows that bring us to where we are right now, as these shifts will no doubt continue to influence life in future. Just as this is a good day for me, I acknowledge that tomorrow is another and will therefore likely feel different.
Yet despite its unknown qualities I choose to believe that therein lies both hope and possibilities I may not even have considered, and so I wait with anticipation.
Updated August 2021
