Some Thoughts On “This Too Shall Pass”

“The main message of the quote is meant to be comforting to those who hear the words strung together either in a poem, a speech, a song, or a fable, and it is supposed to let us all know that whatever we are experiencing or feeling at the moment, whether it is positive or negative, good or bad, happy or sad, “this too shall pass.”

A favorite quote of mine in the English language, originally adapted from Farsi / Persian centuries ago, has been used by both Sufi poets and American presidents alike to describe the impermanence of everything. The main message of the quote is meant to be comforting to those who hear the words strung together either in a poem, a speech, a song, or a fable, and it is supposed to let us all know that whatever we are experiencing or feeling at the moment, whether it is positive or negative, good or bad, happy or sad, “this too shall pass.”

The human condition is ever evolving and what we experience one moment, one hour, or one day can be drastically different later from what was before. Nothing is permanent as we all know because one of the first things we become sentient of is our own mortality and our own impermanence on Earth. While this can fill us with existential dread and despair, it can be a blessing too because the pain, the suffering, and other negative emotions we experience in this life are not for forever. Just as we can’t be experiencing euphoria in the form of only good things happening every moment of our life, the same can be said for having everything go wrong throughout life.

What happens to us in life is largely beyond our control but what we can control is how we react to life and its challenges. In addition, we should remind ourselves that tough times are not forever and if you stay in the game, you keep moving forward, you give yourself a chance of pulling yourself out of a bad rut or a down time. I find it healthy emotionally to remember the Persian and now translated to English saying of, “this too shall pass.” It is a good reminder for us all about the impermanence of all things we experience including life itself.

In addition, this quote of “this too shall pass” can be correlated to “carpe diem” because we must do our best to enjoy life despite its challenges because we never know how many days will be given to live this life. You…