You open your phone to see a post from your best friend, except they're not really your best friend anymore, because you've both kind of drifted. The person you once knew at school is a different person to who you know today, and, if you're honest, you are different too. When you look back at things, it's easy to marvel at how far things have changed. A relationship you thought would last forever lasted only a few years. The dreams you had in your 20s might seem embarrassing to you in your 30s, and this is why the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus said that 'no man can ever step into the same river twice, for it is not the same river, and he is not the same man.' Heraclitus argued that everything in life is in flux. It's quite the paradox, but the only constant in life is change. The river might look the same, but it's different water. The cells in your body will come and go. Your memories will fade, and they will distort. Everything changes. And yet, we view change as a kind of aberration. We cling to our identities, to our relationships, and to our ideologies as if they will last forever. We make these rigid plans, and we feel guilty when things don't work out. We hold grudges against people who no longer exist, and we feel betrayed when somebody else changes. But in Heraclitus, there is also comfort, because if everything is in flux, then change is not a failure. It's normal. Change and transformation are natural. You, me, everybody will move on. We will all become somebody new. So, stop trying to freeze the river. Stop trying to demand that things stay the same and embrace flux. Because everything, everyone, and you will change. - @philosophyminis