Embracing Change: The Liberating Truth About Existence and Finding Peace

中文

The Art of Letting Go

Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about existence, about what it really means to be alive and how we understand reality. These reflections, drawn from my own journey and the challenges I've faced, have led me to some insights I want to share with you. Maybe they’ll resonate, perhaps they’ll spark some new thoughts.

At the core of our experience as humans, there’s a deep, almost restless hunger for life itself. It’s a craving that lives in our consciousness and shapes everything about how we move through the world. What I’ve come to realise is that so much of the suffering we go through isn’t about what’s outside us, but about how we misunderstand what’s inside, how we see the world.

Here’s the tricky part: we want things to stay the same. We crave permanence in a world that’s anything but permanent. Our bodies change, our relationships evolve, and our identities shift, yet we often hold onto the idea that stability and permanence are what we need to be happy. But the truth? The only thing constant is change itself. And resisting that truth only sets us up for frustration and pain.

When I first really accepted this, it was both humbling and liberating. Think about a fist; when you clench it tight, it feels solid and unyielding. Open your hand, and that solid shape disappears. The fist wasn’t some fixed thing; it was just the temporary arrangement of your fingers. That’s how life is, fluid, flexible, constantly changing.

This fluidity extends to our minds, our hearts, and what some might call our souls. If we were fixed and unchanging inside, we’d be stuck, unable to grow or move beyond our limitations. But because we’re dynamic beings, we have the incredible ability to learn, transform, and become better versions of ourselves. Change isn’t something scary; it’s actually our greatest gift.

I’ve seen how a fixed, unchanging existence keeps us caught in cycles of wanting, resisting, and suffering. True freedom, I believe, doesn’t come from avoiding life or fearing its end. It comes from learning to move through life without being swept away by hatred, attachment, or fear. It comes from living fully, with a clear heart and peace of mind, by recognising that nothing stays the same.

So, how can we live in harmony with this constant flow? How can we find peace amidst the chaos of change?

Here are some steps I’ve found helpful on my own path:

• Practice Mindfulness: Take time each day to simply notice your thoughts and feelings without judging them. This helps remind you that all experiences, good and bad, pass in time.

  
  

• Welcome Change: Instead of pushing back against life’s challenges, try inviting them in as chances to learn and grow.

  
  

• Release Fixed Expectations: Pay attention to where you’re holding tight to fixed ideas about yourself or life. Loosening that grip opens you up to new possibilities.

  
  

• Stay Flexible, Mind and Body: Challenge your mental patterns and also keep your body active. For me, sports have been empowering tools for embracing change.

  
  

• Reflect Often: Look back at how things have shifted over time. Journaling can be a powerful way to see growth and build acceptance.

  
  

• Focus on Progress, Not Perfection: Life isn’t about reaching some perfect destination. It’s about the ongoing journey of self-discovery and growth.

  
  

• Be Compassionate: Change isn’t easy. Be patient and kind to yourself and others as you navigate ups and downs.

  
  

• Simplify Attachments: Notice what you’re emotionally or materially attached to and practice gratitude for what you have to ease the pain when change comes.

  
  

For me, living by these steps has brought a sense of clarity and resilience I didn’t have before. Facing life’s unpredictability, especially with physical challenges and competing in adaptive sports and setting up businesses, has taught me that the real meaning of existence isn’t about freezing life in place or holding onto possessions. It’s about embracing change, deepening wisdom, and finding peace in the constant ebb and flow of life.

Our greatest strength lies in our ability to grow and adapt. When we finally let go of the illusion of permanence, we open ourselves to a deep freedom, a freedom to move gracefully with life as it unfolds.

I hope these thoughts encourage you to find your own peace in change and live bravely, openly, and fully.

— Ajmal Samuel

擁抱變化：關於存在與尋找平靜的解放性真理

最近，我對存在、對生命的真正意義以及我們如何理解現實進行了許多思考。這些來自個人歷程與挑戰的反思，讓我產生了一些想法與大家分享。或許這些想法會引起共鳴，也可能激發一些新的思考。

在人類經驗的核心，有一種深刻且幾乎不安的飢渴，不僅是對食物的渴望，更是對生命本身的渴望。這種渴望存在於我們的意識中，並塑造了我們如何面對這個世界。我逐漸意識到，我們所經歷的許多痛苦，並非來自外部，而是源於我們對內在的誤解，以及我們看待世界的方式。

棘手之處在於：我們希望事物保持不變。在一個充滿變化的世界中，我們卻渴望永恆。我們的身體在變化，關係在演進，身份在轉變，然而我們卻常常緊握著穩定與永恆是幸福必需的觀念。但真相是什麼？唯一不變的就是變化本身。而抗拒這一真理只會讓我們陷入挫折與痛苦。

當我第一次真正接受這一點時，既感到謙卑，也感到解放。想像一下拳頭：當你緊緊握拳時，它感覺堅實而不可動搖。但張開手，那個堅實的形狀就消失了。拳頭並非某種固定不變的東西，它只是你手指暫時的排列方式。生活也是如此，流動、靈活且不斷變化。

這種流動性延伸至我們的心智、情感，以及某些人所稱的靈魂。如果我們的內在固定不變，我們就會被困住，無法成長或超越自身的局限。但正因為我們是動態的存在，我們才擁有學習、轉變並成為更好自己的能力。變化並不可怕，它實際上是我們最偉大的禮物。

我曾見證，一種固定不變的存在如何將我們困在渴望、抗拒和痛苦的循環中。我相信，真正的自由並非來自逃避生活或恐懼結束，而是來自學會在生命中前行，不被仇恨、執著或恐懼沖垮。它來自於以清晰的心靈和平靜的心態充分生活，並認識到無物常駐。

那麼，我們如何與這種持續的流動和谐共處？如何在變化的混沌中找到平靜？

以下是我在自己道路上發現有用的一些方法：

• 練習正念：每天花時間靜觀自己的思緒和感受，不加評判。這有助於提醒自己，所有經歷，無論好壞，都會隨著時間流逝。

• 歡迎變化：與其抗拒生活中的挑戰，不如將其視為學習和成長的機會。

  
  

• 放下固定期望：留意自己對自身或生活緊握的固定觀念。放鬆這種執著會為你開啟新的可能性。

• 保持靈活的身心：挑戰自己的思維模式，同時保持身體活躍。對我而言，運動是擁抱變化的賦能工具。

  
  

• 經常反思：回顧事物隨時間的變遷。寫日記是一種強大的方式，可以看見成長並培養接納。

  
  

• 關注進步而非完美：生活並非達到某個完美的終點，而是一段持續的自我發現與成長之旅。

  
  

• 保持慈悲：變化並不容易。在經歷起伏時，對自己和他人都保持耐心與善意。

  
  

• 簡化執著：留意自己在情感或物質上的執著，並練習對所擁有的事物心存感激，以減輕變化來臨時的痛苦。

對我而言，遵循這些方法帶來了以往未有的清晰與韌性。面對生活的不可預測性，尤其是在身體挑戰、適應性運動競技和創業的過程中，我學到存在的真正意義並非凍結生命或緊握物質，而是擁抱變化、深化智慧，並在生命的潮起潮落中找到平靜。

我們最大的力量在於成長與適應的能力。當我們最終放下對永恆的幻覺，我們便開啟了一種深刻的自由，一種優雅隨著生命展開而前行的自由。

希望這些想法能鼓勵你在變化中找到自己的平靜，並勇敢、開放、充分地生活。

—— Ajmal Samuel

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