It is what it is ...

Have you noticed lately that everybody and their dog likes to say, "It is what it is"? It's pretty annoying at times, especially when people use it to excess. Like, "We are out of cereal. It is what it is."

Surprisingly, it's a pretty old phrase. In Wikipedia, the earliest known use is in the Fihi Ma Fihi (Persian literally meaning "It is what it is"), a Persian prose work by the 13th century Sufi writer known as Rumi. It's a trendy way of saying, "Fuck it, I can't change it," which makes much more sense, and is way less annoying. This leads me to the concept of impermanence, which I believe I have discussed before and is one of the main themes in the book I am writing.

From Wikipedia: Impermanence is one of the essential doctrines or three marks of existence in Buddhism. The term expresses the Buddhist notion that all of conditioned existence, without exception, is transient, or in a constant state of flux. The mutability of life, that time passes on no matter what happens, is an important aspect of impermanence. According to the impermanence doctrine, human life embodies this flux in the aging process, the cycle of birth and rebirth (samsara), and in any experience of loss.

In the first one or two years I was writing, I was spending about half of my time researching, and in studying Buddhism and Shintoism, I came across this truly unique concept. It has affected my life in many ways since. To understand and accept that time passes and things change has a very calming affect on me. I have even come to accept that my death is inevitable and that worrying about it is futile. Of course, I feel differently, at least to some degree, about those around me. But I can't tell you how good it feels to put off that anxiety and fear. There was a time a few years ago that I thought I might die. The situation was completely out of my control. But my brain reverted to: "If it's my time, I will die," and that's how I got through it. Since then, if I'm driving with my Dad in his truck (or his boat), I just tell myself the same thing, and I can get through it. Dad, I love you, but I don't want to drive with you anymore. You scare the crap out of me.

Then again, this thinking leads to complacency, which most agree is a bad word. In fiction, characters often have to decide if they will accept their fate or fight against it. For me, I think you'll be happier in life to learn acceptance. But that may be because I'm a type "B" personality.

Wow, this blog is some serious shit. I'm not sure why I am waxing so heavy, but I'm not gonna change it. Fihi ma fihi. Or better, fuck it, I won't change it.

J. L. Dodd

"I'm living with every step. I can't live with regret. The past is the past. I'm not worried about it. I can't change it. I can't fix it. It is what it is. I'm just living." – Ryan Sheckler

"Impermanence is a principle of harmony. When we don’t struggle against it, we are in harmony with reality." – Pema Chodron

"Come back to square one, just the minimum bare bones. Relaxing with the present moment, relaxing with hopelessness, relaxing with death, not resisting the fact that things end, that things pass, that things have no lasting substance, that everything is changing all the time—that is the basic message." – Pema Chodron

“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
― Mark Twain

Links

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/it_is_what_it_is.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Is_What_It_Is

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impermanence

http://www.themindfulword.org/2013/buddhist-quotes-mindfulness-buddhism-meditation-impermanence-suffering/