I feel time has been the greatest taskmaster of my life, and perhaps for all of us, because it teaches through lived experiences rather than instruction.
One of the most profound lessons time has taught me is that nothing in life is permanent. Every relationship, every situation, every success, every failure, every challenge we face, and every phase of our journey is temporary.
We often become attached to people, circumstances, and identities, believing they will remain forever. But time gently reveals that everything is constantly changing, and that is the very purpose of life: to change and move on.
What I have learned is that every person and every situation enters our life with a purpose. They are not always meant to stay. Often, they are meant to teach us something that helps us move to the next chapter, or the next stage of our growth and evolution. Once the lesson is learned, life invites us forward.
Time has taught me not to cling to what has already served its purpose. Just as nature moves through seasons, we too are meant to evolve. Holding on too tightly can prevent us from receiving the next gifts that life is offering.
As an artist and a seeker, I have learned that surrender is not weakness; it is wisdom. Many endings that once felt painful later revealed themselves to be necessary beginnings. Many things I once resisted eventually became some of my greatest teachers and mentors.
In Kathak, we speak of ’Suhm’, the point where all movements return to stillness and completeness. Time has taught me that life has its own ’Suhm’. No matter how scattered or uncertain the journey may seem, everything eventually comes together in a deeper understanding.
Perhaps that is the greatest lesson time has taught me. Life is not asking us to become attached to every experience. It is asking us to learn from each experience, grow through it, and then move forward with grace into the next chapter of our becoming.
