Show me a man who does not profess to having been upon hard times, and I’ll show you a liar.

(Well, either that or one lucky bastard.)

Even the bigshots, the Sylvester Stallones and Tony Robbinses of this world, will tell you that they did most certainly not get where they are today without having to endure goodies like stress, depression, financial rock-bottom, and seemingly insurmountable obstacles galore up front.

So, then, what’s their secret?

While there certainly isn’t one single answer to that one, I believe there’s somewhat of a common denominator.

When normal people face hard challenges, they usually give in, give up, adapt to their new circumstances, and/or simply let things run their course.

Look at the number of people with depression nationwide. It’s alarming, and it goes to show that not many people actively do something to change their current circumstances rather than let their current circumstances have their way with them.

Of course, as in the case of depression, this can be totally understandable. Sometimes we simply can’t. Sometimes things need to run their course. And sometimes, like with most depressions, it really DOES get better.

Of course, we should always try to take action whenever possible. Even though things seem futile and hopeless, there’s often something we can do to improve our situation. But however things are, we could always use some encouragement.

For those darkest of days, I’ve found this quaint little reminder. I used it a fortnight ago when I was seriously ill. Usually, I have a kickass immune system, but I felt like I literally might need extensive medical treatment, and that I was in grave danger. I mean, it was messed up.

And so, while impotently slumping on the couch like a sack of rotten apples, trembling with cold and quietly mewling from aching joints and muscles, I continually forced this one mantra through my near-feverishly-delirious mind:

THIS

WILL

PASS!

Remember those three words. Because it’s these words – or any equivalent thereof – which goes through the minds of great people who endure and overcome stuff more wicked than you and I can imagine.

I’ve used this mantra before, but never so intensely as the other week. And while it doesn’t do anything to better one’s current predicament, it really does help on one’s awareness and outlook.

Because…: EVERYTHING PASSES.

Neither summers nor winters last. The inevitable march of time does not give two shits about you, me, or anyone else. (And we all end up dying, and there’s no Santa Claus.)

But getting stuck in a negative focus is all too easy, and we probably all know this all too well. And so, oftentimes, we could use an anchor connecting us to the positive side of things.

"But what about people who have terminal cancer, or AIDS, or [insert deadly illness of your choosing]?"

Well, there’s not one saying that applies to every imaginable situation. What I’m saying is that whenever one comes upon harsh circumstances, chances are that things WILL get better.

And no matter how bleak things appear, we need to know it, and to act like it. Because that way, we set ourselves up to win. And otherwise, we set ourselves up to lose.

So the next time you fall upon a seemingly dark period, remember those three words:

"This will pass".

Let them be your light in the dark. Because, whether you can see it or not, the light really is there.

We just gotta know it, remember it, and live by it. Only then can we move with safety and confidence.