There is no past, there is no future, there is only this moment.
We all struggle constantly with the challenges of change in our lives. Especially around midlife, these changes become more evident.
I sort of “ran into” this issue eight weeks ago today, when I fell off my bike in a very surprising and painful bike crash. I visited the site of my misadventure last night for the first time, and was shocked and embarrassed to find that I had apparently fallen on such a small dirt hill. But, as my husband Mike explained, “That’s why they call them accidents.”
I’m still cannot believe I crashed my bike so badly that I had a concussion and fractured ribs. Still aching from this one! How did this happen to me? I’ve always seen myself as such a careful person.
The after effects have been powerful, especially in the way I view my life. You would think that an accident like this would make me feel even more scared and careful than ever. But instead I’m left wondering how many interesting experiences I have missed because I have been such a careful person. What has careful gotten me anyway?
I find myself wanting to reach out for life right now! I don’t want to miss anything, because it may not be there tomorrow. I want to embrace the uncertainties of life instead of avoiding them. I want to eat dessert first!
In her book, Comfortable with Uncertainty, Pema Chodron discusses our fears around the impermanence of ourselves and our bodies. Most of us don’t like the idea of aging. We may change our appearance in order to “miraculously escape the truth of impermanence”. But nothing about life is permanent, not our youthful bodies, our once-passionate aspirations, or our ever changing brains.
Pema suggests that it may benefit us if we can learn to relax wholeheartedly into the basic truth that our life is made of change. If we can learn to embrace the obvious changes that aging brings, we may begin to “understand that we’re not the only one who can’t keep it all together”.
Yes, let’s all muddle through together in our superbly imperfect state. But in the process, let’s grab for all the gusto we can in this moment of time.
Note: The statue above is a depiction of Kuan Yin, Chinese Goddess of Compassion and Mercy.
