What does it mean to truly live in the moment? Welcoming change and letting go of attachment to the past or future could open up a world of possibilities

‘To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all’

Oscar Wilde

By the time you’ve finished reading this sentence, that moment of your life when you did so has already passed. Words spoken and experiences all become history as soon as they’re over. For some people, this reminder of the fleeting nature of life can be a cause for anxiety, the feeling that time is slipping away like grains of sand falling through an hourglass. But if you turn this around, being aware of the impermanence of life can be a powerful tool. It can help you begin each day afresh, let go of ingrained fears and revitalise relationships. It means you don’t have to be wedded to old decisions or feelings. And at the heart of accepting and embracing change is learning to focus on who you are, at this moment, on this day.

Constant change

The idea of impermanence forms a cornerstone of many Buddhist teachings, with the belief that everything in life is impermanent, and nothing lasts or stays the same. Trying to grasp or hold on to the way things were – or even the way things are today – will only bring suffering, because everything will inevitably change. This is an essential and inescapable fact of life. Tides change, seasons change, times change and people change. The way you are feeling in this moment, as you read this article, is different from the way you were feeling an hour ago. And the way you will feel in an hour’s time will be different again. Buddhists believe that welcoming impermanence opens you up to the possibility of happiness in the present moment, and that there is always beauty to be seen and felt in life.