The Inevitable
By: Ann Litts
Tags: Change, Life, Self-awareness, Attachment, Life Lessons

Photo by Dorin Vancea on Unsplash

Life is not a stagnant process. If I have learned one thing in this incarnation — it’s that. I find it a source of solace in times of turbulence and key to keeping present in times of joy. One of my oldest friends has a favorite phrase he uses for all circumstances — This too shall pass.

Those four little words are simply the bottom line for everything. They are the key to non-attachment. They allow you to know there is a light at the end of the tunnel of your struggles. They remind you to be here in your moment of happiness and contentment. To treasure the good times and not lose hope in hard times. This too shall pass.

But we need to expand it to everything in life.

At my work, there have been changes — schedule changes, process changes, personnel changes, management changes, upper management changes. It is unsettling to everyone. It feels like the sand is forever shifting. Just when you think you have a toehold — nope. Something else is has switched up. Change is hard.

In our country’s last election — people who were sick and tired of the way things were going voted for change. And change is what they got. Those of us comfortable with the status quo have been shocked and unsettled by the changes and are not so happy. Have we traded democracy as we know it for something else? Will it be better? Or worse? Capitalism to fascism to anarchy. Change is hard.

They say net neutrality will go the way of free TV channels. Remember the days when we had antennas on our roofs and got free TV? But then change came in, cable TV took over our viewing and HD TVs required special antennas and hardly anyone can get those damn things to actually work. Will our internet look like that? Will I have to pay to do business? Banking online? I’ll give up shopping on Amazon and social media in a heartbeat if I have to pay more for it. But gosh paying bills online is entrenched into my life. Will I have to go back to writing checks and snail mail? Change is hard.

But then I remember my friend’s wise words. This too shall pass. One way or the other. We will adapt. Life changes. Whatever is in store for us was inevitable. Life does not stay the same. We can not push pause and expect to live in suspended animation. Life rolls on with a will of its own, teaching us, giving us opportunities to learn, grow, give, love, and find our souls.

Life will force us into uncomfortable places and make us struggle. Think chrysalis. Did you know if you cut a butterfly out of its chrysalis — it will die. The struggle to free itself is what makes its wings strong enough to carry it to flight. Life is an amazing thing. Giving you the skills you need to survive, teaching you things you need to know. Leading you through the changes which surely come.

The most important thing to remember though — is even life itself, with all its ups and downs and all arounds, carries the same end game. No one of us gets out alive. So think about your here and now. Don’t waste time stressing about change. Spend your minutes wisely. Because Life — This Too Shall Pass.

Namaste.