Ancient wisdom worth heeding
There’s a saying — a timeless piece of wisdom — that has long stuck with me. Attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus who lived more than 2500 years ago, it goes something like this: “The only constant is change.”
The self-contradicting statement seems rather obvious, and overly simplistic, even. But the adage relates to the nature of flux. It’s a reminder of the continuous state of movement, the pulse, that reverberates throughout life. Heraclitus’ sagely advice, and his disposition for combining logic and rationality, with empirical mysticism and metaphysics, has much to teach us.
Change is ever-present in our lives. It resides in the gentle, and abrupt, beginnings and endings. It’s demonstrated through the rise and fall of the Sun over the horizon each day, and the growth and maturity that ageing brings. This notion of change is inscribed in the cosmic code of creation — it’s written into the heart of nature, itself. Change is the ubiquitous and inescapable reality of life.
We create it through all that we do, and we experience it within, and around us. Though accepting the seeds of insight within Heraclitus’ words can be challenging, both systemically and personally. Particularly when a period of transformation dislodges your being from its internalised sense of security, such as through a loss of work, a home, health, or a loved one. But allowing ourselves the opportunity to evolve during the process of change is revolutionary. It can bring an up levelling, a rebirth, of sorts.
Times of great transformation, can open up new paradigms, and pave a new, previously unrealised way forward, both personally and in society as a whole. How we move through periods of change, especially challenging ones, are a testament to our strength and character, and maker of them, too.
Robin Sharma, a former litigation lawyer and author, best known for his book The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, believes, “all change is hard at first, messy in the middle and so gorgeous at the end”. It paints an image of the butterfly’s metamorphosis.
We have to be brave enough to walk through the discomfort, the alchemical fire of transmutation, to become anew. And allow ourselves to be rattled from the confines of our comfort zone, at times. Our bodies are designed to change, to embrace healthy levels of change, and grow through it. But prolonged periods of rapid transformation — instability — can seduce our nervous system into hypervigilance, constantly fearing the worst.
They can overload the brain and short circuit the body’s electrical wiring, leading to breakdown or burnout. In times when it feels like the world is changing, and fast, it’s important to embrace a kind of mental minimalism. Focusing only on what is immediate and within your control, in the here and now, is helpful. Part of the nature of change is the notion of impermanence. Nothing lasts, and we have to accept and be comfortable with that, too.
Though during heightened periods of emotion, perhaps when panic, fear or exhaustion are near — you might be experiencing this now — it’s imperative to place self-care on a pedestal. Self-care can no longer be the once in a while treat we provide our mind, body and, importantly, our nervous system. It must become a daily practice, a habit and ritual, without compromise.
Getting comfortable with change can open the doorway to a new, more luminous and beneficial world, if embraced and managed wisely. And uncertainty is nothing more than an invitation for growth and innovation. Don’t fear change, fear not changing.
This article was first published in The West Australian in Renée Gardiner’s weekly column in Agenda, 26 February 2022.