The above quote sums up our existence.

The fact that we are transient and only here for a limited time brings an incredible lightness to my being. I love this quote. I live this quote. It is the first thing that I put into my mind when I wake up: I am fully aware of my mortality, yet I can feel the incredible energy that I am—that we all are. It is wonderful!

Yet sometimes I wonder: am I the only one?

I am often accused of not taking life seriously enough. Nothing could be further from the truth. Precisely because my time here is limited, I am taking the quality of my existence very seriously. I want to experience this life so totally and I want to be so complete such that when death comes, I’m done.

This means I don’t need a lot of money or stuff. This means I am going to celebrate each breath I take. This means I will embrace playfulness and spontaneity—right now. Is this not what our existence is all about? How can it not be? It is only for a short while, after all.

We don’t need to waste my time worrying about the future, because we do not have a future here. There is no safety in money or stuff. No matter how hard we work, plan, or prepare, at the end of it all, we are going to have to let it go. It is as simple as that.

Most of us live in denial. We do not want to know this. The treadmill of our conditioning has filled us with fear and anxiety. We fear dying, the unknown, uncertainty, and what other people may think of us. To work all day to pay our bills and get stuff has become our life, our reality. But being able to buy a Porsche will not set us free; not needing to buy a Porsche will. It is time for us to wake up and realize this.

“Well, that’s easy for you to say.” This is what I hear a lot, but why is it easier for me? The truth is that I am just like you. I am neither rich nor famous. I am of no importance. I have my sh*t going on. In fact, my life is falling apart just as I am writing this.

To suffer is the nature of this world. Every creature suffers at some point in its existence. It is what gives us depth. Suffering comes and goes. I accept it but I do not make it the center of my existence; I do not identify with it. Our life never consists of suffering alone.

There is beauty and joy everywhere and always. We are surrounded by it. We are it. We are adorable creatures capable of so much love and beauty. Every one of us is precious and complete. Yet we keep trying to improve, to change. We have been conditioned to do so for eons. However, it is a futile task: how can you better that which is already complete?

Why not stop for a minute and consider this? Everything nature creates is perfect—about this, most can agree. Yet we are also nature. We are not separate from it. We are nature, and we are perfect. So, what is the rush? What is the stress? What is there to be achieved? What is really needed? Nature never rushes, and everything works out pretty well for her.

Perhaps we should take some notes.

When you wake up tomorrow morning, try taking an extra breath before you think about your troubles or worries. Look within yourself and feel the incredible energy that you are. Then try to remember: life is really a great cosmic laughter—that is all.

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Author: Andrea Wieneke
Image: Elephant archives
Editor: Callie Rushton
Copy Editor: Catherine Monkman
Social Editor: Lindsey Block