Why Does Success Feel Permanent When Life Is Only Temporary?
There are moments in life when clarity arrives quietly, without announcement, without drama. Not during a crisis, not during loss, but at times when everything appears comfortable, secure, and successful. One such moment can occur in the most unexpected setting, a luxury hotel room, a space designed to signal achievement, status, and arrival.
Checking into a premium room often triggers a subtle emotional validation. The plush bed, the polished interiors, the silence that separates you from the noise of everyday struggle. It feels like progress. It feels like having crossed a milestone. It feels like proof that the years of effort, ambition, and discipline have paid off.
Yet, just before sleep, when distractions fade, a simple thought can dismantle that illusion. This bed was occupied by someone before, and it will be occupied by someone else after. The comfort feels personal, but the reality is impersonal.
In that moment, the luxury bed begins to resemble something far more neutral, almost clinical. Like a hospital bed where people arrive, stay briefly, and then depart. Some heal. Some do not. The bed remains. The occupants change. The structure stays constant while human stories rotate endlessly.
The same truth applies to a business-class seat on an airplane. For a few hours, it feels special. It feels earned. It feels like a marker of distinction. But once the flight lands, the seat becomes anonymous again. You stand up, walk away, and someone else takes your place. The seat never belonged to you. You only borrowed it.
The Illusion of Ownership
That single realization has the power to ripple outward, touching every aspect of how we define success and possession. If even the most expensive bed or the most privileged seat is temporary, what exactly are we holding on to with such intensity?
Our house. Our land. Our designation. Our chair in the office. Our authority. Even the people we sometimes subconsciously label as “mine.”
When examined closely, these too operate on the same principle of temporary occupancy. A house hosts generations. A chair sees many leaders. A designation passes from one name to another. Even relationships evolve, change, and eventually dissolve through time, distance, or mortality.
We do not truly own these things. We manage them for a while. We are custodians, not permanent holders. Life assigns us roles, assets, and identities for a limited duration, and then silently reclaims them.
Why This Realization Feels Uncomfortable
This understanding can feel unsettling because modern society conditions us to equate permanence with success. Bigger homes, higher titles, longer influence, deeper control. The idea that all of it is provisional challenges the very foundation of ego-driven ambition.
The discomfort does not come from loss. It comes from clarity. From seeing that what we defend most aggressively was never ours to begin with.
This is why such realizations often arrive late at night, in silence, when the mind is no longer distracted by applause, notifications, or validation. Truth prefers quiet environments. It rarely competes with noise.
Interestingly, this understanding does not lead to despair. On the contrary, it offers liberation. Once the illusion of permanence dissolves, the pressure to constantly prove oneself begins to fade.
How Impermanence Changes Behavior
When we internalize the temporary nature of life, subtle but powerful shifts occur in behavior. Arrogance loses its appeal because dominance is fleeting. Hoarding loses relevance because accumulation has an expiry date. Comparison weakens because everyone eventually vacates their seat.
What gains importance instead is conduct. How we speak. How we treat people when we hold power. How we act when no one is watching.
Understanding impermanence does not reduce ambition. It refines it. The goal shifts from accumulation to contribution, from control to stewardship, from recognition to relevance.
This perspective aligns deeply with the philosophical underpinnings of Indian thought, echoed in scriptures, teachings, and even in the reflections of modern visionaries. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam often spoke about anchoring life in values rather than vanity, purpose rather than possession.
What Truly Stays Behind
If nothing stays with us forever, then what actually survives us? The answer is surprisingly consistent across cultures, eras, and belief systems. What remains is impact.
People remember how they felt around us, not what we owned. They remember fairness, generosity, humility, and integrity long after material symbols fade.
This is why legacies are rarely built on possessions. They are built on principles. On decisions made under pressure. On kindness extended without obligation. On restraint shown when power allowed excess.
When life is viewed as a temporary assignment rather than permanent ownership, the urgency to live meaningfully increases. Time becomes valuable not because it is scarce, but because it is non-renewable.
In markets, in careers, and in personal life, those who understand cycles outperform those who assume permanence. This applies equally to investing and to living.
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Investor Takeaway
Derivative Pro and Nifty Expert Gulshan Khera, CFP®, believes that the most successful investors and leaders share one uncommon trait: emotional detachment from temporary positions. Whether it is a market cycle, a designation, or a phase of success, clarity comes from knowing that all states are transitional. A calm, principle-driven approach allows individuals to act rationally in both prosperity and adversity. For deeper reflections and structured market guidance, visit Indian-Share-Tips.com , which is a SEBI Registered Advisory Services.
SEBI Disclaimer: The information provided in this post is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. Readers must perform their own due diligence and consult a registered investment advisor before making any investment decisions. The views expressed are general in nature and may not suit individual investment objectives or financial situations.
