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9.18.2012

Feeling the Burn-So to Speak



The following paragraphs really spoke to me this afternoon.  As I sit at the desk I used to get paid to sit at, yet now rent from my previous employers; at a job I thought was going to keep me grounded for the next 10 years, that is now completely under my own direction of wherever I want to take it.

Burning Man is the ultimate expression of impermanence.  An entire bustling city grows from nothing and back to nothing in just one week.  That art piece that you spent so much time on and infused so much meaning into is burning right before your eyes.
No matter how much time, work, and love go into creating the things you create, they will all only ever be temporary . . . your art, your relationships, your children, your very life.
In fact, one of the things that make beautiful things beautiful is their ephemeral nature.  Imagine an epic sunrise that just goes on and on.  Someone would come by and exclaim, “Look at those incredible pink clouds!”, and you would respond, “Yeah, whatever.  They’ve been like that for hours.  I’m ready to get on with the morning.”
We suffer when we remain attached to things that are impossible to hold onto.  Cherished experiences slip away and are gone, leaving us with nothing but grief and loss.  Learn to embrace the relentlessness of change, and those tears become a celebration of the preciousness of each moment.  Everyone watches as the beauty of the temple is consumed by flame, and we sense our connection to one another.  We’re all together in this impermanent dance with life.
Impermanence may be heartbreaking, but it’s also kind of awesome!  It means that we get to remake the world in every moment.  Our relationships, our identities, our careers, our expression of who we are: none of these permanent-seeming parts of ourselves are set in stone.  Even if they were, erosion and entropy and mortality would wash the stone away in time.
The sad news is that every good feeling, fulfilling relationship, or special moment is fleeting.  The great news is that every bad feeling, shitty relationship, and terrifying moment is also fleeting.  There’s nothing to do but surrender to the insecurity and beauty of loss and change.
You knew that Burning Man would end shortly after you arrived.  There’s freedom in such temporality.  You got to see just how versatile and creative you could be, knowing it would soon be over, and knowing it was impossible to hold on to any experience for too long.  Really, all of life is like that, just a series of moments.  Let them go and discover who you can be now.

Taken From the Entry "5 Ways to Make Life More Like Burning Man"
http://burnerlove.com/2012/09/14/5-ways-to-make-life-more-like-burning-man/ 

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