Impermanence: Finding Your Footing When The Ground Keeps Moving!

The room is changing while you read this: the light shifts, your coffee cools, your body updates itself cell by cell. When we live like things should stay fixed, that constant motion starts to feel like a threat and we respond by gripping harder. We recorded this Due To Expire session to challenge that reflex and to offer a calmer, stronger alternative: learning to meet impermanence with presence instead of control.

We talk about why humans cling to comfort, routines, relationships, youth, beliefs, and even familiar suffering and how that resistance quietly turns into anxiety, disappointment, and inner friction. We explore impermanence across philosophy and spirituality, then bring it down to earth with simple images you can feel: the fragile vase, the beauty of a sunset because it ends, and the Kintsugi idea of honoring cracks as part of a thing’s story. This is mindfulness for real life, not a detached pose. It’s about awareness, adaptability, and choosing what matters while everything keeps moving.

A pivotal story ties it together: a king asks a wise sage for something that can steady him in both triumph and disaster. The answer is a gold ring engraved with four words, “This too shall pass,” and we unpack why that reminder can soften pride, lift despair, and restore perspective. You’ll leave with practical ways to practice non-attachment, observe nature’s cycles, notice small daily impermanences, and create space for what’s next. If this helped, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s going through a change, and leave a review with the one thing you’re ready to let go of.

Transcript

Change Is Happening Right Now

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Take a look around the room right now. The coffee in your mug is cooling. The sunlight hitting the floor is shifting by the millimeter, and even the cells in your hands aren't the same ones that you woke up with this morning. We spend our entire lives trying to build walls against change. Yet we're building these walls on the foundation of a world made of sand. Today, we're not just talking about loss. We're talking about the liberation that comes when you finally stop gripping and start flowing. Welcome to the Do to Expire Podcast. And today we will discover how to find your footing when the ground never stops moving. I'm your host, Corey Kennard. Now, let's grow. Check us out at nonegative.energy. That's no negative, all one phrase.energy. Now notice this present moment. The feeling of the chair beneath you, the sound of my voice, the air in the room. This moment, like all moments, is fleeting. And that in a nutshell is what I want to talk to you about today.

Why We Resist Impermanence

SPEAKER_00 2:13

The impact of impermanence. From the grand cosmic dance of stars being born and dying as well, to the subtle shift in our own moods, everything around us is in a constant state of flux. Nothing is permanent. Now, this isn't a new idea, of course, right? Philosophers and spiritual traditions across the globe have contemplated impermanence for millennia. The ancient Greeks spoke of Heraclitus' famous saying that no man ever steps in the same river twice. For it's not the same river, and it's not the same man. In Buddhism, it's a foundational principle known as Anika. Yet, despite knowing this intellectually, how often do we truly internalize it? How often do we live as if everything around us, including ourselves, is constantly changing? The truth is, we often resist impermanence. We end up clinging in this life. We cling to comfort, we cling to routines, we cling to relationships, we cling to our youth, we cling to our beliefs, even to our suffering. We build elaborate structures, physical, emotional, and psychological, in an attempt to create stability and control in a world that inherently offers neither. Think about it. When something good happens, we want it to last forever. We've made songs saying, make it last forever. And when something bad happens, oh, we desperately want it to end as quickly as possible. Both of these desires stem from our resistance to the natural flow of change. This resistance, ironically, is often the source of much of our suffering. When we resist what is, we create friction, we create tension, and we then create unhappiness. Consider a beautiful, fragile vase. We can cherish it, but if it breaks, our attachment to its previous perfect form can lead to sadness or even anger. What if instead we could appreciate its beauty knowing that its form is temporary? And if it breaks, we can acknowledge the new form that it takes, perhaps even finding a different kind of beauty in its cracks, as in the Japanese art of Kinsuki. This is where broken pottery is repaired with gold lacquer, highlighting the breaks as a beautiful part of its history.

Presence Over Control

SPEAKER_00 5:35

So, how do we shift from resisting impermanence to embracing it? It's not about becoming detached or uncaring. Come on, we we know those things are gonna happen. It's about cultivating a different kind of awareness and a deeper sense of presence. First, we need to recognize that impermanence is not a flaw. What is it then? It's a feature of life. It's what makes life dynamic, it's what makes life vibrant and full of possibility. If everything were permanent, there would be no growth, no evolution, and no new beginnings. The joy of a sunset is precisely because it's transient. It doesn't last forever. The beauty of a flower is heightened by the knowledge that one day it will eventually fade. Second, we need to practice presence. The more we are rooted in the present moment, the less we get caught up in worrying about the past or anxiously anticipating the future. Both the past and the future are concepts. Only the present is real. This moment, right now, is the only real thing that we have. Mindfulness practices like meditation, prayer, or simply paying attention to your breath are powerful tools for cultivating this present moment awareness. Now, when you're truly present, you can observe things as they are without the filter of your desires for them to be different. Embracing impermanence doesn't mean becoming passive, though. I need you to understand that. It actually empowers us. When we understand that everything changes, we become more adaptable and resilient. We learn to let go of what no longer serves us, whether it's a worn-out habit, a limiting belief, or a relationship that has run its course. This letting go creates space for something new to emerge. It also fosters gratitude. When we truly appreciate that every experience, every person, and every moment is temporary, we savor it more deeply. We understand its preciousness, and we are less likely to take things for granted. How many things have you taken for granted because you thought it was going to last forever? Finally, embracing impermanence can bring a profound sense of freedom. Freedom from anxiety, the anxiety of trying to control the uncontrollable, freedom from the disappointment when things don't go as planned. Freedom to simply be, knowing that whatever arises, it too will pass.

The Ring That Calms Pride

SPEAKER_00 9:13

Allow me to share a story with you about a powerful king who felt constantly tossed about by his emotions. When his kingdom prospered, he was blinded by pride. When the harvest failed, he fell into a deep, paralyzing despair. Desperate for balance, he summoned the wisest sage in the land and gave him a challenge. Create something for me, a phrase, an object, or a charm that will stabilize my soul. It must be something that tempers my joy when I am boastful and comforts my heart when I am broken. The sage returned a week later with a simple gold ring. On the inside of the band, he had engraved four key words. This too shall pass. Months later, the king won a massive victory. As the crowds cheered and the wine flowed, he felt himself becoming arrogant and untouchable. He looked at the ring. His pride softened into gratitude, and he realized the victory was a fleeting moment to be shared and not a permanent throne for his ego. Years later, a famine struck. This too shall pass. The despair lifted just enough for him to breathe, reminding him that winters do not last forever and that he had the strength to endure until spring. Impermanence is often viewed as a thief that takes away what we love. But the king learned impermanence is also the healer that carries away our pain. Dealing with impermanence isn't about becoming indifferent, it's about loosening the grip. When we realize that nothing, not the beautiful sunset, nor the heavy rain cloud is here to stay forever, we stop fighting the seasons of our lives and start observing them with a bit more grace.

Daily Practices For Letting Go

SPEAKER_00 11:55

So, what are some practical ways you may ask to integrate this understanding into our daily lives of impermanence? One key is to observe nature. This is something that I like to talk about all the time. Spend time in nature and simply observe the cycles of growth, decay, and renewal. The changing seasons, the ebb and the flow of tides, the life cycles of a tree, these are all powerful teachers of impermanence. Then there is the mindful awareness of daily life. Notice the small impermanences in your day, the feeling of hunger that arises and then subsides when you're able to eat something, the thoughts that come and go in your mind, the sounds around you that appear and then suddenly fade away. Another thing to do is to practice non-attachment with objects. Pick an object you own and simply observe it. Acknowledging that it too will eventually wear out, break, or be replaced. This isn't about discarding things, but about loosening your grip on them. Think about how much you've changed over your own life. Your opinions, your body, your relationships. Acknowledge this personal impermanence with acceptance. You see, living in the face of impermanence isn't about becoming indifferent or disengaged. It's about living more fully, more vibrantly, and with a deeper sense of peace. It's about understanding that life is a dynamic dance. And when we move with the rhythm of change rather than against it, we find a profound sense of liberation, freedom. It's about letting go of the need for things to be static and instead finding joy in whatever unfolding mystery of existence presents itself.

Questions To Live By

SPEAKER_00 14:20

So, as we conclude today, I invite you to consider this question. What will you let go of today to create space for what's next? Now, I want you to begin to implement whatever works for you from this podcast into your daily routine and go after it like your life, your mental and your emotional health and well-being depends on it because it does. So right now, I want you to reflect on your life. Are you, my friend, truly prioritizing what matters most? Are you acting with intention, or are you just sitting there letting time slip away? Since we are all due to expire, the question is, what will you do with your life between now and then? With all of my heart, I want to thank you for listening today. I'm your host, Corey Knard.