The Importance Of Understanding That Everything Is Temporary

Throughout our lives, we experience a great diversity of emotional states. When everything happens according to our expectations, as a rule we feel euphoric and successful. But when faced with challenges and frustrations, we are very often seized by panic. If we could understand that everything is temporary, we could relate to our emotions from a healthier perspective.

In general, we have an extremely dichotomous conception of the world around us. Everything is black or white, good or bad. In this way, positive emotions become desirable and negative ones something that we try to avoid at all costs. 

Although it is much more prudent to give space to both within us, this is really difficult for us. Why? Because we feel that these will stay with us forever.

The demand for constant happiness

Due to our tendency to label, we have condemned negative emotions to exile. We refuse to look at them, to listen to them, to accept them. We demand of ourselves to live in a perpetual state of happiness.

This is a completely unrealizable expectation that leads us to unhealthy and harmful behaviors. We repress our emotions, we hide them, we do everything possible to distract our minds when they appear. But it is necessary to understand that they are nothing more than natural reactions of our body to what happens, that they fulfill a function.

Just as not everything that happens is positive, neither can we pretend that all our emotions are. Circumstances are changing and, therefore, emotions as well. Generating the obligation to maintain a constantly elevated state of mind only takes us away from that feeling of fulfillment that we seek.

The fear of infinite sadness

Change is part of the way. Whatever our age, we have been able to verify that neither euphoria nor sadness are eternal – although on occasion it may give us the feeling of being so. A reality that is difficult for us to accept when our gaze is contaminated by negative future expectations or adverse circumstances.

When life hits us, negative emotions make their consequent appearance. Most of us have not been taught to deal with them and we continue to see them as the enemy, so at that very moment we begin to want to get rid of that uncomfortable feeling as soon as possible.

Thus, we put in place our entire arsenal of strategies to avoid looking at that pain head-on. We go out with friends, rearrange the closet, entertain ourselves with books and movies.

Until, inevitably, the moment comes when we have no choice but to face reality and we see that those emotions have not gone away. They are still there, creating lumps in the throat and making us perceive the pain in an almost physical way. It is then that panic takes hold of us: we will never be able to feel good again.

The agony we experience no longer comes from what happened or from the negative feeling that haunts us. Now our biggest fear is that these emotions won’t go away.

We have already exhausted all our coping resources and we have not even managed to alleviate its intensity. So, now, concern adds to our situation of vulnerability.

Everything is temporary

It is in those moments, when we most need to remember what we already know and have verified so many times: everything is temporary. Sadness will go away, fear will begin to loosen; One day, when you least expect it, you will find yourself smiling again.

The only method to speed up the healing process is to dare to live it. Dare to feel, embrace the discomfort and accompany yourself. If you can remember that everything will pass, you can look at your situation from a new perspective. You will give yourself permission to accept that natural reaction of your body and learn from it.

The assurance that nothing is eternal will allow you to remain calm during the storm, and optimistically await the arrival of the sun. Life isn’t always perfect – in fact, this adjective rarely touches it – and you don’t need it to be. Each experience, in its own way, helps us grow. Therefore, if your strength falters and doubts assail you, remember that everything passes.