One of the most distressing phrases you could hear (when life is thriving) is
“Everything ends”, one of the most encouraging phrases you could hear (when things look bleak and unbearable) is “Everything ends”. Isn’t it fascinating how the nuance of impermanence changes, depending on where you are standing.
The last few years have been gristly ones indeed. So many things that I believed in, some on which I had based my identity, came crashing down around me. This is a scary, lonely place to find yourself in. The ground beneath your feet has truly been swept away and you are left alone in the dark, floating helplessly in limbo, not even sure which way is up.
There is an intense and tangible grieving in that, having lost all that was. This needs to be acknowledged, and with reverence and honour allowed time to process. BUT, I have discovered that with this destruction comes a boon: the world now opens up with new possibilities. So now, with a shift in perspective can come the excitement of wondering “What comes next?”. At this stage, it could really be anything!
Nature Knows Best
I always look to nature for clues on life and how to live it. Nature is ancient and holds such innate wisdom. I was recently hiking in the forests of Magoesbaskloof and noticed such vivid beauty to be seen in death and decay. A tree falls and dies and in so doing creates a safe haven for so many new life forms to birth - ferns, mushrooms and many little creepy crawlies could be seen thriving. The cycle of life never ends. Our Source of life is infinite, eternal, always generating, always creating! Energy can’t be created nor destroyed, it simply changes form.
Is Fear Imprisoning You?
When contemplating impermanence, we come face to face with our own mortality and this truly terrifies us. But death is such an integral part of life (you’ll never avoid it), it is strange that after so much practise we still fear it so. Everything progresses in a cyclical nature, even us. This is the nature of everything, the circle of life.
As humans we are so programmed to seek safety, to forecast future events, to make plans to avoid disaster and heartache at all costs. But it seems all this planning for safety has placed us in prisons of our own making. Are we living life, or are we merely existing?
The author Paulo Coelho said that he would like his epitaph to be ‘Paulo Coelho died while he was alive.’ What does that mean, doesn’t everybody die when they are alive? Well, not if you keep repeating the same thing over and over again, that’s not really being alive. To die alive is to fully live and that means taking risks.
Embracing the Gift of Impermanence
No matter how carefully you plan ahead to protect yourself against it, impermanence will always get you in the end. So why not, rather than run from it, learn to dance with it instead.
As one door closes energetically it makes room for a new door to open. It’s crucial to allow yourself the space and time for grieving - properly. But then allow those tears to clear your eyes, to look out at the horizon and see what this has birthed for you – perhaps a shift in your way of seeing things, a trigger for deep transformation, a massive opportunity for growth.
Instead of hiding under the bed, avoiding the world and all the scary things that may happen – why not go out there and dance with ALL of life in its diversity of shades and flavours.
Make Impermanence Your Ally to Live Your Richest Life
You can befriend impermanence and use the knowledge of it to make sure to get the most out of life. See it as an ally, always by your side, reminding you to pay attention and appreciate the holiness of each moment you are given.
If each time you met up with a friend you thought ‘this may be the last time’ – how different would that interaction be? Would you still spend the time half-listening to them while checking your phone, or would you be gazing in their eyes, giving them your full attention and your love?
When you start to look around at life - all the people, relationships, possessions, identities – and accept with grace that each and every one of these will one day be gone, you begin to regard each moment with reverence.
Contemplating Impermanence Everyday
I invite you to take a moment each day to reflect on the impermanent nature of everything in your life. Say a prayer of gratitude for all that you have right now which brings you joy. Really savour that joy in full knowledge that it does have a lifespan. Perhaps jot down in your journal all these juicy, delightful things that are bringing you joy. A great reference to come back to as a reminder when things are not going so well. A reminder of the range of colours that lie on this palette of yours called life.
Make it a habit to practise mindfulness in everything you do. Don’t just gobble down that food, really savour and appreciate every taste and texture. When you are with a friend give them your full, deep and profound presence and listening, as if this is the last time you will see them.
Jump
My last point is again looking to nature for guidance. Wildebeest know that the risk of crossing the river could mean death by crocodile, but they do it anyway. They are very jumpy and on edge for sure, but they do it – and most of them make it safely across. Those that don’t make it? Well, they do die – but that is what they will all do one day anyway.
But the prize of getting across? Sweeter, greener grass to feed on.
Life just got a whole lot better! In the end - isn’t the sweetness of life worth the risk?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
So here is a little more about who I am & what I do...
Colette Lindiwe received a strong calling to be of service to the Divine Feminine,
which led her to give up her 9-5 corporate career and live life in flow as a nomad. Since then, she has been finding means to honour the Feminine in all the ways she shows up in our modern world. This journey has led her passionately on a mission to discover, learn, embody and share wisdom teachings related to the Divine Feminine.
Tapping into this fervidness and creatrix energy, her offering the-dess was birthed.
Outraged at the way women have been disempowered through programming and conditioning, Colette Lindiwe is super passionate about uniting women with the innate wisdom and healing capabilities of their bodies and their wombs. Supporting them through the process as they rediscover their magic and power, and learn to love their bodies and themselves.
As well as doing 1-on-1 Womb Healing sessions and Energy Healing sessions, she adores holding space for group work, in which she hosts Red Tent Circles, Group Mantra Chanting, Meditation, Dance, Laughter Yoga and more - spreading joy through connection. There is magic that happens in these spaces of community, and she loves seeing how people are lit up after these experiences.
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