Regarding Limitations

I Googled the sentence, “As time goes by, we get a little bit older and a little bit slower.” This blog showed up as the first item. I had quoted the Beatles snippet from “Revolution Number Nine”, on February 8th of this year. The reason I searched for the statement today was because I woke up this morning feeling quite old and sluggish.

I know there are people who proclaim that we’re only as old as we feel. There is some pop psychology truth to that; however, sometimes a person simply feels crotchety. I believe this should be honored because it’s an authentic sensation. To deny that there are limitations to the human experience is unhelpful to individuals and society.

One of the core Buddhist theories is Anicca or Anitya which means impermanance. In a nutshell this means that everything changes and nothing lasts forever. This condition of the way things are includes everything from the smallest microbe up to galaxies and the Universe itself. Everything around us is continually changing, including ourselves.

To accept impermanance adds profundity to one’s life. Understanding that each of us has a literal deadline, means that realistically, we have one go at living. If you’re searching for a reason to stop procrastination, the truth of impermanence is a pretty big one.

Take my experience of grogginess this morning for example. Most mornings I am refreshed and eager to get going with the day. Yet some mornings, this is far from the case. On mornings like today, an extra cup of coffee induces wakefulness and eagerness to begin the day.

I need only to thumb through a family photo album to remember that I’m not the person I used to be. There are photos of me as an infant. Snapshots of me as a schoolboy. Photos of me as a young man. Photos of me as an older man. I hope that someone will take a photo or two of me as an elderly dude, too.

When I was much younger, I was able to attack physical challenges like hard labor and outdoors chores with hardly a care or concern. Nowadays, I must think more strategically about pacing my efforts, taking more frequent rest breaks, and knowing when to quit. Not doing these steps could result in serious health consequences or even a sooner demise. This type of mindfulness about working and resting is common to most if not all people who grow older, so I’m not gatekeeping about this.

One of my complaints about contemporary pop psychology is the saying, “You’re never too old to __.” Well, yes, we eventually grow too old to do many things. For instance, I can no longer mow the yard on a hot-humid day with only one or two resting breaks. The reality now is that I must forgo mowing altogether on hot-humid days. In fact, I’m considering having to hire someone younger to perform this task.

Accepting the reality of impermanence and limitations does not mean giving up on living a fulfilling, joyful life. Just because entropy will slowly erode the progress we attain does not mean there will not be more to do to remain viable and happy. In fact, knowing there will always be limitations allows us to realize the preciousness of life and to be grateful for our existance. The wisdom of living fully one day at a time becomes more vividly apparent.

Understanding the universal nature of impermanence reinforces our inborn empathy and compassion for all living beings. Knowing that every person must come to terms with their own limitations and ultimate demise helps us feel closer to each other. Understanding limitation encourages us to become more generous and kind to our fellow beings regardless of chronological age.

The fact of the matter is that limitations are existential conditions of life. Whatever we are thinking and experiencing at this present moment will change tomorrow. The only permanent thing in the Universe is impermanence.

Namaste

The Blue Jay of Happiness quotes 20th century American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician, Orson Welles. “The enemy of art is the absence of limitations.”