She clung to her success like it would vanish—and it did.
When Meera’s business went viral, she was euphoric. Sales exploded. Interviews rolled in.
Her inbox was a flood of praise and possibilities. She told herself she was grounded.
But inside, she gripped it tightly—this moment of “arriving.”
She feared it would slip.
And one day, it did.
An algorithm changed.
Sales dipped. The attention moved on.
And she was left staring at a quieter inbox, a slower rhythm, and a heart that whispered:
“Was I ever really safe?”
She grieved the loss. Not just of growth, but of identity. Until she remembered something her teacher once said:
“Even the best waves pass.”
And so do the storms.
What Rises Must Settle—And That’s Not a Threat
We fear impermanence because we believe it erases meaning. But it’s what gives meaning.
The joy you felt on that afternoon walk?
The heartbreak that cracked you open?
The anxiety that once consumed you?
None of it lasted.
But all of it shaped you.
Trying to freeze moments—good or bad—is like trying to hold your breath forever.
We’re meant to flow.
Not freeze.
What Psychology Says About Impermanence and Emotional Relief
Research from UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center shows that simply observing emotions as temporary experiences reduces their intensity.
Mindfulness-based therapy teaches that by noticing without gripping, we allow emotional states to pass more quickly—be it panic, sadness, or euphoria.
Even in neuroscience, brain scans show that labeling emotions—“This is fear.” “This is uncertainty.”—calms the amygdala and restores access to the reasoning brain.
When we remember everything changes, we stop being held hostage by any one feeling.
Meera’s Stillness After the Storm
She didn’t try to get the moment back.
She let it go.
Grieved it. Honored it. Moved with it.
She reconnected to her work—not because it was trending, but because it still felt true.
And from that softer place,
a deeper kind of success found her.
Not the kind that spikes.
But the kind that stays.
If You’re Clinging to What’s Changing
- Feel the fear—but don’t build your life on it.
- Name the moment. Don’t try to preserve it.
- Ride the wave. Don’t become the wave.
- Your breath doesn’t last forever. Neither does this.
- Say this: I welcome what comes. I release what goes. I remain present.
Because nothing lasts forever. And somehow, that’s what makes it all worth loving.