This Too Shall Pass- 5 Key Lessons During Troubled Times
Whether it was King Solomon or Abraham Lincoln who popularised this phrase, the powerful message is undeniable!
We have all had our share of ups and downs in life. Be it from genuine well-wishers or just uninterested observers, we have also received somewhat cliched motivational statements like the title of this piece or “every cloud has a silver lining,” “there’s light at the end of the tunnel,” and so forth.
Have you ever wondered whether these are just comforting words? Or old adages to make you feel less miserable? Or are there deeper messages hidden somewhere in these overused one-liners?
I believe they do divert our attention to the impermanence of the circumstances that threaten to choke us. But at a deeper level, they also bring out the immense learning potential that lies within those very occurrences.
So when the chips are down, what are those critical lessons that can propel you to greater heights in life?
Before we answer the intriguing question above, let’s look at some of the problems that people face today. Though this may seem to be generalising to some extent, these are the pressing circumstances that push us to the verge of collapse.
- Financial crisis: Financial worries are a major cause of several mental afflictions like depression, stress, substance abuse, impulsive behaviour, sleep disorders and so forth. It also has a direct bearing on your physical well-being as you try to cut corners to make ends meet, resulting in poor nutrition, lack of necessary healthcare, etc.
- Emotional setback: A loss of a loved one, break-ups or separations, relocation leading to detachment from your friend circle, or any other mental trauma can set you back in life.
- Health problems: A serious accident leading to loss of limbs or prolonged treatment for an ailment can seem like a never-ending battle.
- A new venture or a series of new endeavours going wrong: Even if it doesn’t lead to a major monetary loss, it can affect your self-esteem. Overcoming such stumbling blocks could seem impossible.
These apparent roadblocks are ideal times for introspection. You may discover some life-altering lessons during these phases. Some of my personal discoveries are:
Finding your calling: Difficult times often open doors that you never knew existed. A loss of employment may give you the opportunity to explore your latent talents. Lo and behold, you could well discover the vocation that transforms your life into something you may occasionally have just dreamt of. In Japan, they call it Ikigai, a concept that is one of the secrets of their long lives and everlasting happiness.
Similarly, a failed relationship may be an invitation for your soulmate to step into your world. You may well be experiencing true love and blissful bonding for the first time in your life.
A broken leg that keeps you bedridden for six months could actually produce the bestseller that you always wanted to write but couldn’t devote your time and attention to.
Fortifying your self-belief: Turbulent times are meant to make you stronger mentally and emotionally.
As the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, John Major, famously said, “When your back is against the wall, there is only one thing to do, turn around and fight.”
Tough times make you look within to seek refuge. You may discover that you are stronger than you believed and have the resolve to fight back.
This is also a time to remove the rust from your skills. Great sports personalities often use their bad phases to work on their technical glitches and come back stronger.
The great Michael Jordan said, “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
Change in your money mindset: This is applicable to circumstances that have a bearing on your wealth. One mode is to press the panic button, but the other alternative is to radically change your perception of money. When you realise that everything that’s happening is temporary, you also start believing that the depletion of wealth is also momentary.
This thought process alone can turn you into a money magnet. However, what it will do for sure is increase your appetite for risk. With nothing more to lose, you can afford to be more aggressive than you normally would. Yes, it doesn’t necessitate outrageously irrational decisions, but it will help you break the shackles of resistance.
Gratitude: Difficult times teach you to be humble. You also tend to become more compassionate toward others as you realise that there are several co-passengers on the boat you are sailing in.
As Gautama Buddha said, “Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful.”
After the initial phase where everything feels like a whirlwind, you attain a degree of calmness that makes way for gratitude. You may have lost something (or someone) really dear, but what you still have is precious.
I learned to practice gratitude consciously by thanking the Lord for everything that He has bestowed on me: food, shelter, friends, and above all, a loving family.
Spiritual awakening: Everything I’ve said so far comes from a stronger faith in the Absolute Supreme.
Meditation, mindfulness practices, empathy, and gratitude all culminate in reinforcing your faith in the Lord.
As you ponder over your predicament, you hear his words, “fear not, I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God, I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)
With this assurance from the Lord to be our eternal guiding star, what adversities can hold you back?
Utilize this passing period to discover yourself, spend time with your family, hone your skills, and emerge as a more formidable force.
The famous dialogue of Sylvester Stallone from the Rocky Balboa series rings in my ears, “It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!”
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