This short four-word phrase has been the most valuable piece of advice I have received in the past year. It’s kept me mentally and emotionally balanced. “This Too Shall Pass”, is a statement of pure bliss and if used correctly, it equips one with the power to overcome any difficult situation life might throw at them.
“It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence, to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words: ‘And this, too, shall pass away. ‘ How much it expresses! How chastening in the hour of pride! — how consoling in the depths of affliction! ‘And this, too, shall pass away.’”
— Abraham Lincoln.
The world and our culture perpetuate the idea that we must be on a constant upward trajectory. Everything needs to keep climbing, improvements, goals, profits, money, and life. Unfortunately, life is not that one-dimensional. Creativity and life are more like a sinusoidal wave (or seasons for the less geeky). Winter and autumn strip the beauty from trees, taking them through a deep process of restoration before spring and summer come around.
Everyone has accepted the necessary evil that is winter and autumn because they are well aware of the role it plays in the circle of life. But people do not accept or better yet, do not acknowledge that these same principles apply to life. They are moments when we need to be stripped of all our beauty and undergo a deep process of restoration and growth. There has to be a time for reflection, to learn from past mistakes, time to grow up, and especially time to contract before we can expand.
“This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal. I know the world is bruised and bleeding, and though it is important no to ignore its pain, it is also critical to refuse to succumb to its malevolence. Like failure, chaos contains information that can lead to knowledge — even wisdom. Like art.”
— Toni Morrison.
When life gets overwhelming, unbearable, vile, and hopeless, remember, just like the seasons, “This Too Shall Pass”. Whether you are heartbroken, in financial crisis, depressed, sick, or even in the gutters, “This Too Shall Pass”. No state is permanent, even permanent is subject to change and change itself is ever-changing.
However, there is a caveat here, and that is, “This Too Shall Pass”, applies to good times just as much as it does to trying times. All the good times will pass and eventually you too will pass. There is no time to despair. Rejoice in the good fortune of your birth. Remember to embrace every moment and to live in the moment, be a good human being that creates meaningful art and endeavor to leave things better than you found them. The gift of a new day presents the opportunity to grow into something sexy and extremely weird.
“Imitate the trees. Learn to lose in order to recover, and remember that nothing stays the same for long.”
— May Sarton.
The good times must be celebrated with gusto, fervor, and meraki. The bad times must be endured with courage, persistence, and patience. No matter how much time passes or how much turmoil arises, in the end, “This Too Shall Pass”. Visit my store and buy a “This Too Shall Pass” apparel.
