There’s no denying that life is tough.

We might appear that we’re happy, but deep inside, it’s total chaos. It’s almost like we’re “ducks” – calm on the surface but paddling furiously underneath.

But the worst thing we can do is avoid the difficult aspects of life.

According to Buddhist philosophy, happiness involves embracing and accepting all the different aspects of life, even if they’re negative.

Otherwise we’re turning a blind eye to reality and resisting the natural forces of the universe.

So below, we’re going to go over 3 truths about life Buddhism says we’d all benefit from accepting.

1) Dukka: Life is pain and causes suffering.

This is the first noble truth of Buddhism. You might think that this sounds quite negative. But there’s more to it than simply “Life is tough, so accept it.”

The truth is, we create more suffering in our lives by avoiding difficult emotions.

Buddha is right: Every single one of us will at one point experience unpleasant emotions like anxiety, stress, and sadness.

We often try to avoid these feelings through attaching ourselves to material items and fleeting states of being like excitement. However, doing this often a recipe for more disappointment and sadness in the future.

So rather than fearing suffering, if we choose to be aware of it and accept it, it can ultimately reduce our suffering. Alan Watts says it best:

“There will always be suffering. But we must not suffer over the suffering.”

How can this benefit you in your daily life? Realize that there is power in accepting that death, sickness, suffering and loss are part of life.

You can stop attaching to the thought that life should be easy and pain-free. By doing so, you’re becoming more open to change and uncertainty, which paradoxically will make your life more enjoyable and fun.n

2. Anitya: Life is change.

Anitya means “impermanence” which states that nothing is ever fixed. Everything is changing. The weather changes, our emotions change, we are born and eventually pass away; the only law in the universe is that change is constant.

This concept can help us when we are experiencing difficult emotions as we know they won’t last forever. Our pain will pass.

When we experience joy, we know that the feeling is fleeting, so we better make the most of it while it lasts. Greek philosopher Heraclitus mirrored the belief when he famously said, “You can never step in the same river twice.” All we have is the present moment.

How can this benefit you in your daily life? While embracing the idea of impermanence feels scary, it can actually be quite liberating. It helps us appreciate all the good things we have in life while realizing that the bad won’t last forever.

It’s also the law of the universe, so by embracing this idea, you are literally flowing with all that there is, rather than fighting against it.

3. Anatma: The self is always changing.

In the west, we tend to believe that there is a concrete, constant self tucked away somewhere in us.

Buddhism, however, says that there is no fixed, stable “self”. Our cells, memories, thoughts, experiences always change over time. We give ourselves names, titles and personalities to make it feel like there is a sense of “self”. But this is another idea given to us from our society.

According to Buddhism, our lives are a story we can change. As Thich Nhat Hanh says, “Thanks to impermanence, anything is possible.”

How can this benefit you in your daily life? In the west, we are often told to “find ourselves.” However, by embracing this idea, we can instead create ourselves. If we are having an off day, we can realize that tomorrow will be different. Every day offers new possibilities for us to expand who we are.

Looking to reduce stress and live a calmer, more focused life? Mindfulness is the easy way to gently let go of stress and be in the moment. It has fast become the slow way to manage the modern world – without chanting mantras or finding hours of special time to meditate.

In Hack Spirit’s new eBook, The Art of Mindfulness, we explain how you can use mindfulness practically to help you clear your mind, let go of your worries and live peacefully in the present moment.

By devoting full attention on what we are doing in the moment, we can alleviate suffering, fear and anxiety.

With the power of mindfulness at our fingertips and the beauty of looking deeply, we can find insights to transform and heal any situation.