I read a story nearly twenty-five years about a young man who received a ring as a gift from his dying father. He thought of the ring as his good luck charm and wore it every day since.
A few years later, he went through a horrible spell and was on the verge of losing everything he owned after a spate of bad luck. Out of luck, he just walked aimlessly for hours and sat down near the side of the road.
He saw his Dad’s ring, took it out of his finger and began playing with it as he contemplated how hopeless it all seemed. Just as he did so, he noticed some writing on the inside.
It said “This too shall pass.”
He was elated – it felt like a message from his late father. He took the message to heart and decided to fight his way back.
And of course, the story goes onto have a positive ending after that moment.
Years later, I still recall that story from time to time. “This too shall pass” is the essence of the Bhagavad Gita in Hindu philosophy. It is also a big part of stoic philosophy.
It takes it place in the pantheon of timeless philosophical wisdom because it tells us the truth about this experience and provides instant perspective.
There’s no point getting too high or too low about this current moment.
Good or bad, this too shall pass.
