Four little words. They’ve gotten me through a lot of hard times, especially the ignorance of my 20’s.

This too shall pass!

I wrote this Insight (blog) several weeks ago, before the destructive hurricanes in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, the earthquakes in Mexico and the massive fires in California that have destroyed thousands of homes.

It’s my heart’s intention that today’s article brings peace to you, if you find yourself struggling with the all that’s going on in the world or something personal in your own life.

I still love those four little words…This too shall pass. They help me remember the truth – Everything is going to pass, eventually.

Even rocks and mountains erode with time.

Those words may, or may not, remove the fear and pain as you go through a difficulty, but they can offer a perspective to help you get through it and to know that the horribleness of what’s occurring will not last.

When it appears that life is falling apart, sometimes the only thing we have left is the ability to choose a perspective that empowers us to get through it.

When pregnant with my son, I remember learning a perspective about money that has been so useful to me over the years. As it happened, one day his dad was worried and upset after reading his bank statement. I asked him what was wrong.

He handed me the bank statement and just stared off into space. Then, out of nowhere after a few minutes, he broke the silence. “You can’t ever really run out of money. You always get more!”, he said!

Wow, that’s amazing! I never thought about money like that. But I saw that what he had just said was true. It was such wisdom and a helpful perspective. Anytime I had been down to my last dollar the next one always appeared. I liked that perspective. I felt a bit of ease within.

Just like the tide, money goes in and out, as does everything else. We get excited about a new car, and at some point the excitement wanes. We meet someone new and are filled with passion and joy, only to have our first disagreement. And, on a happier note, we are turned down for a loan only to get a better interest rate somewhere else.

We can count on change- the only thing that doesn’t change is change.

The only thing that is Permanent is Impermanence.

Impermanence used to freak me out. I hated it. When I finally got someone or something I wanted, I held on tightly and was never going to let it go. But that lead to a lot of suffering and heartache. And you know something? The fact that everything is impermanent is actually good news!  That relationship that I thought I HAD to have back in my 20’s, well it turns out that it was a blessing we didn’t end up married. We took two very different paths in life and the path he chose was not for me.

Wouldn’t it be awful if pain lasted forever? If everything were permanent, wouldn’t you get bored after a few years? Think about it. Someone builds their dream home. They are elated and high. A few years pass and they become bored with it and start planning the remodel. It happens all the time. Or, what if fashions never changed? Now that’s scary!! 😉

Impermanence is a part of life, yet change can be scary. But change can also be approached as an adventure, once we get beyond the immediate pain and fear from our conditioning. I’ve always enjoyed the process of moving. It’s such a creative experience for me. It’s like an adventure without leaving town. New grocery stores, new streets, new people and decorating a new place. It’s always pure heaven for me.

Adventures bring us ALIVE! They energize us. We are focused, clear and present. Think about hiking through a new forest or visiting a country you haven’t been to before. You don’t know what’s around the next turn, and because of that, you are full of anticipation and child-like wonder. You are ALIVE WITH LIFE!

Being vibrantly alive comes from stepping into the UNKNOWN (the new). The KNOWN is, well, known. It’s familiar. And after a while it can turn into boredom.

Whenever change knocks on your door, I hope you’ll whisper to yourself “this too shall pass” and allow it to be what it is. And, as you do, you’ll be making space for something new to come into your awareness and your life.

Now, I’d like to hear from you!

Have you ever encountered an un-welcomed change or loss that actually turned out for the better?

What Wisdom, Insights or Growth came from the change or loss?

Pop me a note below. I’m excited to hear from you!