“Honey,” at the breakfast table, a woman said to her husband, “last night, I dreamt that you gave me a necklace of pearls. What do you think it means?”

Smiling, the man kissed his wife and whispered, “You’ll know tonight.”

Sure enough, that evening, he came home with a small package beautifully wrapped. With a playful grin, he gave her the package. His wife jumped in joy and settled on the couch to open her gift. She undid the tape, unwrapped the package.

It had a book titled, “The Meaning of Dreams.”

We dream of life giving us a necklace of pearls when it’s actually planning to give us the meaning of our dream. This mismatch is the chief cause why most people are forever riding an emotional roller-coaster. They want permanence, some guarantee, some security when there’s none. Such inner certainty cannot be guaranteed by any external arrangement, nor conferred by someone else. Security is purely a personal achievement. It is harmony and conviction in one’s inner essence that results from Self-knowledge and bestows a poise that remains unaffected by life’s ups and downs.

Material security is the most ephemeral. Nor can we find total emotional security in relationships with others. No one can love us enough to fill up that emptiness within and possessive love only generates fear that accentuates this hollowness.

Not security but insecurity is the basic fact of life and we must recognize it. Instead of chasing after something that does not exist, we must come to terms with the uncertain nature of our existence. The truth is, absolutely everything is transient; a passing phase.

“When the time comes the trees are laden with fruits and then with time it sheds them. 

What are you brooding over, says Rahim, when all times pass.”

This is one of the most potent self-affirmations to imbibe the truth of impermanence in our heart. Whenever we are down or disturbed, whenever we feel lost or low, we just need to touch our heart and tell ourselves that this time will pass. That suffering too is a part of life. It’s one of the seasons. We should knock on our heart with a gentle touch of our hand and say that this trying time won’t stay forever.

Whenever we are over the moon or think we have the best life, we should tap our heart again and remind ourselves that this time won’t last either. This too is one of the fleeting seasons. It has a positive effect on our peace of mind. We will feel more centered and grounded.

Nothing is certain in this world except Death. 

The very next moment is mired in uncertainty. 

In the fullness of time, the present moment must make way for the next present moment. The present must yield to the future. This ceaseless play of moments emerging and passing is what gives beauty to the unpredictability of our lives. It’s beyond comprehension or control. At the best, we can live it, love it and rejoice in it gratefully. This is the path of peace. Peace is the only real treasure. Rest are temporary acquisitions.

“You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present.” — Jan Glidewell

If we are depressed, we are living in the past.

If we are anxious, we are living in the future.

If we are at peace, we are living in the present.

So, live in the present moment, honestly, peacefully, simply, humbly, happily with honor and dignity.