Life is constantly shifting, like the ebb and flow of the tides. One moment you feel grounded, sure of your place in the world, and the next, everything you thought was solid begins to slip through your fingers. It’s tempting to resist this—cling to the illusion of control, of certainty. But that clinging is where our suffering begins.
Impermanence is not a flaw in life’s design; it is the design. Everything is in a state of change, whether we like it or not. From the smallest blade of grass to the mountains themselves, all that arises will eventually pass away. This includes our experiences, our relationships, our very sense of self. When we open ourselves to this truth, we begin to see that our struggle comes from trying to grasp onto what is already moving away. The more tightly we hold on, the more pain we feel.
The practice of accepting uncertainty is not about resignation or indifference. It’s about learning to soften our grip on life, to allow things to be as they are. This moment, right now, is the only one we truly have. It is fleeting, and it is precious. When we learn to rest in the present—without trying to solidify it, control it, or escape it—we can finally breathe. We can relax into the unknown.
In Buddhist teachings, this is called shunyata, or the “open space” of life. It is the fertile ground where anything can arise, where we are free from the weight of trying to make things permanent. In this openness, we are invited to trust that we don’t need to have all the answers. We don’t need to know what comes next. All we need is to meet each moment with kindness and curiosity, even when the future is unclear.
Impermanence, in fact, is what allows growth. Imagine if everything stayed the same—there would be no room for transformation, for learning, for new beginnings. The very uncertainty we fear is also what makes life rich with possibility. Each change, each ending, creates space for something new to emerge.
The next time you feel the ground shifting beneath your feet, instead of tightening up, take a deep breath. Let yourself soften into the experience of not knowing. This uncertainty can be a teacher if you allow it. With gentleness, meet the discomfort of change, knowing that this too will pass. In accepting that nothing is fixed, we open ourselves to the freedom and peace that comes with trusting life’s natural flow.
When we surrender to impermanence, we are no longer at odds with life. We are, instead, part of its dance.