“This too shall pass” -Confucious
This is one of those quotes to commit to memory, to have at your ready disposal. Only four words, four short words, yet with the potential to shift your mindset completely.
We can extrapolate our present day situation out into the future or worse, we project a worst-case version of a current struggle forward. I know I’ve “been there, done that.” It’s really a struggle to actively decide to not go to that place.
We make plans and take action. We figure out our why and get going. Then, something hits. Most often, it’s small, or short term, in the hour or maybe just a tough day. It could be a perceived failure of ours. It could be larger, perhaps losing someone very important in your life. Adversity can even be from receiving criticism or feeling judged by others.
You must remember, it’s temporary. This too shall pass. All things pass in their time. Look back on your life and see this immutable fact.
Ultimately, we want to use our adversity to find purpose, meaning, and serve others. First things first, we have to recognize that it’s not a permanent state. It’s a reality in your life, a reality that you have much more control and influence over than even you may think. Keep it in perspective. Choose your thoughts wisely.
It’s not Murphy’s Law. It’s life. You will have challenges to the plan you make for yourself. The question is when and to what extent. But, the bigger question is how you will choose to respond.
“Opportunity often comes disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat” –Napoleon Hill
