Permanently Temporary

 This too shall pass.   Persian adage

Good grief, I hope so. Aches, pains, healing, sadness — all of the not-very-much-fun stuff. They’ll be gone eventually, maybe to just be replaced with new challenges, or maybe to be replaced with unknown joys! One never knows.

The good thing is, I think, that nothing lasts forever. Even grief subsides over time. 

The message for me is to find and thoroughly enjoy the good, while knowing that whenever I’m going through a challenge, that situation is temporary. Finding the gratitude is a practice which helps me locate the good in each day and every situation. It allows me to find peace and to wear an honest smile, to actively seek out the positives and to breathe easily. 

I’m aware that I can oversimplify things, but I truly believe that my mindset affects my mood. If I have any control over how I think, then what I think about won’t send me to the darkness. Well, that and Prozac!

The point is, nothing is here permanently except impermanence. If I don't feel okay in one moment or series of moments, I know I won't live there forever. I’ll take a good, deep breath, then another. If I need to retreat for a bit, that’s what I’ll do. It’s all good.

I’m grateful for that.